A Second Chance at Love
by moi-moi819
Summary: [ON HIATUS] He didn't succumb to petty, human emotions nor pleasures of the flesh. But he was no fool. There was something there. The last thing he needed was to get involved with the girl. He couldn't lose another one... Chase YoungXOC Rated T for now. Rating may go up later.
1. Prologue

_Blanket Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Xiaolin Showdown, any of its characters or titles therein. No copyright infringement was intended._

Moi-Moi: Hey everybody! Welcome to my first attempt at a Xiaolin Showdown fanfiction. For my first attempt, this story will be focusing mostly on Chase Young (because he's my absolute _favorite_ ). Later on, we'll definitely see our favorite monks, but don't expect _too_ much. There is also some things you will need to know beforehand.

 **1\. THIS STORY IS ALREADY ON WATTPAD. I am in the process of adding some of my stories onto Wattpad and this story is already there. To be honest, it has more written on Wattpad and updates for the story will come out on Wattpad a few days before they do on Fanfiction. It wouldn't hurt to head over there and check it out ahead of time. Right? It's under the same name under the username: moi-moi819.**

 **2\. XIAOLIN CHRONICLES NEVER HAPPENED. It's relatively easy for me to pretend that it didn't since I never bothered to watch it after the fourth episode. It was just a mess and an eye sore from the design to the names. I couldn't get past them. For the sake of the story (and my sanity) it never happened. Sorry if you happened to like Chronicles.**

 **3\. I've gone and made up two OCs just for this story:**

 **Long, Mei "** _ **gorgeous"**_ **-14 years old; long, dark hair; dark brown eyes; 5'3" (I used the Chinese celebrity Li Bingbing as a model for Mei.)**

 **Kurosawa, Hitomi** _ **"pupil (of the eye) name given to girls with pretty eyes"**_ **\- 16 years old; long, dark hair; dark brown eyes; 5'5" (I used the Japanese celebrity Kuroki Meisa as a model for Hitomi.)**

 **4\. It is impossible to find out how old Chase was when he turned evil. So, I am making him 16. It won't matter much. This story takes place after he turns evil. But is nice to have a base for our main character's age in relation to the heroine.**

Let's get started. Yeah?

~:~

Wuya slinked into the throne room of Chase's palace with a small frown on her tanned face. Her hands moved to her hips as she let out a delicate " _humph_ ". "Now where has Chase gone?" she asked herself quietly. The sound of the many fountains' and waterfalls' bubbling waters answered her. Her black eyes scanned the empty room once more before she turned back down the way she came.

Her hips swayed as she walked, her eyes scanning for any trace of the Prince of Darkness. All day she had been left alone- it was not like Chase to leave her unaccompanied by several of his jungle cats or at least his Crow. Wuya was grateful for the lapse in her personal security, but it was still disconcerting. With no Shen Gong Wu activating lately, the lapse was nothing short of poorly timed. ' _Why couldn't he have decided to vanish when a Shen Gong Wu was revealing itself?'_ she mused to herself with a deep frown.

Coming to a fork in the hallway, Wuya paused. To her right was the dining hall and training room. Surely, she would find Chase having a cup of his _precious_ Lao Mang Lone soup at the head of his extravagant table or training his jungle cats in the training room where he had once dueled the Monk Guan. To the left was Chase's _personal_ quarters. She was forbidden from even _thinking_ of entering his quarters.

Not one to follow _anyone's_ rules, Wuya had gone down this hallway before. She had been apprehended by one of his many lionesses and literally _dragged_ into his throne room. Chase had glared down at her harshly from his throne, irritation radiating from his every pore. Wuya had feigned innocence of her mistake, using her silver tongue to try to smooth things over with the Heylin Dragon. Chase had not been swayed. Instead, he'd hissed and snarled at the witch before baring his claws and fangs at her in warning. It was one of the only times Chase had come anywhere close to actually striking her. To say the least, Wuya was _impressed_.

Smirking darkly, Wuya took the hall on her left. It had taken approximately twenty-three seconds before one of Chase's jungle cats had caught her. She hadn't even made it to his room. Yet, here she now stood before two, grand doors with Chase's reptilian eye insignia in the middle of the doors. Glancing behind her once quickly, Wuya grasped the golden handles on the doors before turning and pushing them open.

Chase's room was… _nice._ The large room had black walls with various, ancient swords and paintings hanging on them for decoration. The floors were a smooth, polished stone like everywhere in the palace except these were a shining charcoal. The large, circle bed rested in the middle of the room on an elevated, circular ledge. Red, silk sheets were meticulously made up on the bed. On both sides of the bed, wooden, red bedside tables rested- one with a lamp and the other with a deep purple chest. On the other side of the room rested a dresser and vanity to match the bedside tables. Wuya spotted several combs, brushes, and bottles containing colorful liquids resting on the vanity. _'No wonder he takes so long getting ready in the morning. And he gave me grief for caring about my appearance,'_ Wuya rolled her eyes.

Two doors rested on opposite walls. Slinking over to one, Wuya pushed the door to the side. Her eyes widened at the sight of Chase's expansive closet. ' _I've never known a man to have so many shoes,'_ Wuya thought with owlish blinks. Chase had shoes for every occasion and many from different continents and eras. Even his many robes varied in era and origin. The only thing about his clothes that didn't change was the color scheme- blacks, forest greens, some reds and golds. The only exception was a light blue robe hanging on the wall at the back of the closet behind a glass case. Wuya frowned at the memory of Chase's days as a Xiaolin warrior.

Behind the other door, Wuya found Chase's immaculate bathroom. The walls and floors matched the rest of the bedroom and a white, porcelain sink and matching, large tub were on opposite sides of the room. The tub was big enough to house a few jungle cats comfortably! A waterfall shower with a detachable shower head and glass door was in the furthest corner of the room. Black, cotton towels hung on the towel rack on the wall.

Wuya frowned before slowly backing out of the room. "Chase is keeping the goods to himself," she grumbled with a deep frown. "Seems the _Prince of Darkness_ doesn't know how to share."

" _With good reason…"_

Wuya froze before turning around slowly. With wide, innocent eyes, she smiled widely at Chase where he stood at the entrance of the room with two tigers at his side. Chase was glaring harshly at her with pure malice in his gold, reptilian eyes. Wuya felt a shiver go down her spine. She felt an immensely foreboding sense along with erotic excitement. Chase appeared to be far more threatening than usual as he stood with his jungle cats tensed for attack. Usually, Chase held some patience with her. He would glare and threaten before rubbing his temples and walking away. His jungle cats would always growl and glare, but never made a move to attack. Wuya frowned as a flicker of fear entered her eyes.

"I have _told_ you not come near my chambers," Chase started slowly. One of the tigers gnashed its teeth at her. Wuya recoiled on instinct with wide eyes.

"I was simply looking for _you_ , Chase. I was… _worried_ about you. I hadn't seen you all day and I was just-" Wuya started.

"Silence!" Chase barked at once. The other tiger took a step towards her. Wuya felt her jaw drop as she took a step backwards with a silent gasp. "I tolerate your presence, but do not make the mistake of thinking that I wouldn't do away with you in a second, you witch. Now, leave," Chase snarled. His voice no longer resembled its normal baritone. It was now tinged with the deep sounds of Chase's reptilian form.

Wuya chuckled lightly before moving towards the door. "Of course, Chase. Whatever you say," she offered quickly before scooting by his tigers. While she immensely enjoyed whenever Chase took charge and got in one of his "moods" (as she liked to call them), this one left her feeling a sense of fear and unease. Chase had looked ready to lunge at her and rip her throat out with those fangs of his. Wuya clutched her neck with a tiny noise. ' _I think I'll spend the day on the_ other _side of the palace today…'_

Chase watched the Heylin witch scurry from his room quickly before shutting and locking the doors loudly behind her. His jungle cats stalked around the room once before laying down on the cool stone. With a purposeful stride, Chase approached his left, bedside table. He stared down at the chest, looking for any sign that Wuya had tampered with it. He picked up the deep purple chest on the tabletop before retrieving a golden key from within his armor. He used the small key to unlock the golden latch on the chest before pulling open the lid. Chase stared down at the contents of the chest with a deep frown. A single piece of folded parchment. With slow movements, Chase procured the aging parchment from the box and turned it over in his hand. There was an ink painting of a young woman on the parchment.

Chase Young wasn't nostalgic. The Prince of Darkness rarely chose to hold on to any mementos. Aside from his old Xiaolin robes, this small piece of parchment was the only thing of his past that Chase had kept. The paper was quite old- around 1300 years. The ink was close to faded and the paper close to falling apart. With a frown, Chase retrieved an ink brush, a new piece of parchment, and jar of ink from the chest before setting the chest down on his bed.

He moved over to his vanity and took a seat at the comfortable, red chair before it. Moving some brushes out of the way first, Chase got to work. With precise brushstrokes from centuries of practice, Chase went about copying the painting to the fresh parchment. He'd done this several times over the centuries. With modern technology, there were now ways to preserve the parchment should he so wish. But, Chase couldn't bring himself to do it. He _wanted_ the markings to fade. Every time they did, he promised himself that he'd burn the parchment and be done with it. Yet, he always found himself repainting the portrait of this girl. He'd done it so many times, he could repaint the image purely from memory.

Once he'd finished, Chase resealed the ink jar with a frown. He stared down at the young woman's face. No matter how practiced he may be, his brushstrokes could never do her beauty justice. Long, dark tresses that fell past her shoulders, dark eyes, small lips that rarely hide a bright smile, and soft features that hinted at impending womanhood. She was quite young- only 14 years old. Chase picked up the parchment while gazing down into the girl's drawn eyes as he lost himself in his memories.

 _Chase sat at the edge of a peaceful river in a perfect Lotus pose. He breathed evenly as he allowed his senses to take over. He could detect the slight changes on the breeze as it blew past him and ruffled his long hair. He could hear past the rushing river to two small birds chirping in the trees a mile away. While maintaining amazing focus, Chase began to tune into his chi. Slowly, his body began to rise off the grassy ground with a slight glow. Pure peace and tranquility was within his grasp._

" _Woah!" a voice cried out before a shriek could be heard. Chase didn't let the noise distract him, but when a small wave of water splashed on the warrior, the glow framing him flickered once. Slowly, he descended onto the ground before opening his eyes from his meditation. He shot an unamused glare at his companion. From the middle of the river, a young girl sat near some rocks. When their eyes met, she offered Chase a wide grin._

 _Chase rolled his eyes at her. "Your balance is atrocious," he chided before shutting his reptilian eyes once again. He could hear her rising from the water before wading over to where he sat on the riverbank. He could sense her stopping at the bank, but she didn't exit the water. With a frown, he asked, "What?" in an annoyed tone._

" _Am I bothering you?" she asked him in her sweetest voice. To Chase's sensitive ears, her voice sounded like tinkling bells. He could smell her pleasant fragrance being marred by the fishy, river water._

" _Yes," he said dryly with his eyebrows knitting together._

" _Oh," she replied before rising out of the water. He could hear her ringing out her robes and tried not to cringe. It was a fine robe made of the finest silk and dyes. The base color was pink with many red flowers decorating it and a red sash around the waist. Risking a sideways glance at her, Chase could see that mud was now decorating the bottom of the robe. Chase twitched once in annoyance. He'd paid a good price for that robe… "Are you hungry? You've been sitting there like that all day," she observed._

" _I'm_ meditating," _he chided her._

" _Really? It looked like you were dozing to me," she giggled. Chase ground his teeth, but held his tongue. "I'm going to look for something to eat."_

" _Don't get lost," Chase warned her from over his shoulder. He heard her stop with a huff. He smirked as she moved to wander into the forest. He had only been half-joking with her. With her poor sense of direction, Chase was sure that he would have to seek her out in a few minutes. Might as well continue his meditation in the meantime…_

 _Not twenty minutes later did Chase feel a disturbance. The wind had changed just before a flock of birds took to the sky with loud shrieks and cries. Chase frowned before heading off into the foliage. As he entered deeper into the forest, wild animals ran past him quickly. Chase frowned at their frantic escapes. He could hear them all communicating with each other that danger was near. Using his tiger instincts, Chase honed in on the danger. With wide eyes, he headed to his left._

 _It took mere seconds, to locate the danger. A large, adult tiger pawed at the trunk of a tree, clearing away some of the bark with one swipe. He could hear the loud growls and snarls coming from the animal as it reached its paws up into the tree. Without hesitation, Chase lunged with a grunt. He struck the tiger in its stretched torso with his foot before it had even sensed him. The tiger fell to the ground in a heap and didn't move. His hard expression turned from the tiger to above him. "If I had known that you would have been foolish enough to agitate a wild tiger, I would have let it have you for its meal," Chase said and raised his arms out before him._

 _With a sheepish laugh, the girl scooted away from where she was hugging the tree trunk. With a final shove, she fell from the branch and into Chase's waiting arms. "But you didn't. And I'm very grateful to you Chase," she smiled brightly from his arms._

 _Chase rolled his reptilian eyes at her with a deep sigh. Suddenly, the girl craned her neck to place a soft peck to her savior's cheek. Chase stilled at once, his cheeks taking on a light, pink blush. His blush darkened slightly when she giggled at him. Having had enough, Chase placed her onto her feet and gave her his back. "Come. I will find us something to eat," he said and started walking back towards the river._

" _Coming," she chimed and sped up to catch up to him._

' _Mei Long.'_ Chase glared down at the painting in his hand before gathering his materials. He placed the new painting in the chest with the brush and ink jar before locking the chest up tight and returning the key to a compartment inside his armor. He returned the chest to its proper place before turning to the old painting. With a harsh glare and low growl, he crushed the parchment in his hand before using his Heylin magic to burn the paper to ash.

He could feel his the sympathetic stares of his jungle cats on him. They could sense their master's unease once again. Every year, their master become most irritable and reclusive on this day. He would spend the entire day training and pushing his body to its absolute limits in a fit of rage. He would always feel the same- boundless rage and fury, irritability, and a deep sense of loss and pain. When one of the tigers stopped at his side with a low, questioning growl, Chase paused. He glanced down at where the female tiger, a female warrior he'd defeated in South America several centuries ago, sat at his feet with a sort of sympathetic look to her face. Chase hardened his expression before turning to leave the room. "We'll continue our training _now,"_ Chase hissed with his cats following at his heels.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

There it was.

Just at the bottom of this hill, in the middle of a valley, rested the famous Xiaolin Temple. Well, it was famous to anyone who practiced martial arts. She'd trained all her life for this moment. Well, not _this_ moment… This was just the first step.

Hitomi Kurosawa was a sixteen-year-old girl from Tokyo, Japan. She stood at 165 centimeters with clear, ivory skin. Her long, dark brown hair was parted in the middle and pinned up by two, crystal chopsticks. Her almond-shaped, dark brown eyes were fixed in determination as she stared down at the grand temple.

She worried her pink, bottom lip shortly in nervous anticipation before releasing it. Could they help her here? Of course they could. She'd heard legends of the great Xiaolin monks who resided in this temple and protected the world from the forces of evil. Without another thought, she leapt down from the top of the hill and down onto the ground below. She landed gracefully without any flaws to her form. At once, she took off in a run towards the ivory and blue temple.

She ran through the thick forest while leaping over exposed tree roots and ducking under hanging branches and vines. Her short-sleeved, red kimono clung to her frame, while still providing enough freedom for her to move. The short kimono stopped mid-thigh and surely would have revealed her more intimate areas were it not for the black, fitted, knee-length tights that she wore underneath. Fallen leaves crunched under her black ballet flats as she passed over them.

Sooner than she had hoped, Hitomi stopped at the entrance to the Xiaolin Temple. With a deep breath, she approached the wide, stone arch. As she stepped on the temple grounds, she looked around once curiously. There was no one around. Surely one of the skilled masters of the temple had sensed her approach?

Suddenly, Hitomi heard the sound of a noticeably female voice yell rather loudly " _Wait until I get my hands on you!"_ Hitomi frowned. She had thought that the Xiaolin Temple contained an entirely _male_ population. Following the scream, the sound of something falling and shattering could be heard before a male voice exclaimed, " _Kimiko did it!"_ Now more than confused, Hitomi decided to follow the voices further into the temple.

When Hitomi did spot someone, it had been a bald, elderly monk standing in blue and white robes with black pants poised before a group of teens with a small, green lizard on his shoulders. The teens consisted of three boys and a girl, all in red and white robes. The girl (who Hitomi guessed to be of Asian decent) was practically breathing fire at a taller, tan boy. The boy was smirking down at her in a cocky way with his arms folded over his chest. His robes were a slightly different color scheme from the others. The remaining boys were a tall, burly, blonde boy with blue eyes and a cowboy hat and an extremely short boy with a yellowish skin tone and round, bald head.

"Master Fung, it's all Raimundo's fault!" the girl seethed.

"Is this true Raimundo?" the elderly man questioned.

"Don't look at me. It was Omi who was going through Kimiko stuff," the tan boy shrugged with a grin that spoke of anything besides innocence.

" _Omi_?" Master Fung questioned in a dubious tone.

The short, bald boy balked. "Master Fung, I was simply looking for the scroll Kimiko was hiding in her possessions! It holds the key to perfecting the _Flying Panda Eating Snow Cone_!" Omi exclaimed. Hitomi raised a brow at that. The what?

"I think Rai was pulling yer leg there, lil buddy," the cowboy said softly and patted the indignant boy on his round head.

" _What_!? Raimundo, you _tricked_ me! I cannot _believe_ I let you pull the cotton over my eye sockets!" Omi exclaimed while glaring up at the taller boy. _What_?

"I think you mean, "pull the _wool_ overyour _eyes","_ the Raimundo boy corrected with a grin. Hitomi nodded to herself. That made more sense.

" _Same difference!"_ Omi yelled.

Up until this point, Hitomi had gone unnoticed by the group. It wasn't until the little green lizard looked back at her that she straightened expectantly. The green lizard tapped the older monk on his bald before directing his line of sight to her. When the monk known as Master Fung turned to her, she swallowed once. One by one, the others noticed her as well. "It appears that we have a guest. May I ask who you are young one?" Master Fung questioned.

This was her chance. Forget her nerves. If she wanted to be taken seriously as a warrior, she had to stand tall now. Squaring her shoulders, Hitomi prepared to speak, but she was cut off by the tanned boy. "A better question is, "Where have _you_ been all my life, Beautiful?" the tanned boy said in his thick accent as he materialized next to her. He shot her a confident smirk and winked once flirtatiously.

"Probably hiding from _you_ ," the girl grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. The boy didn't pay her any mind, however.

Hitomi sidestepped the boy in order to face the oldest monk. "Are you Master Fung?" she asked him with an urgent tone to her voice.

"Yes. What ails you, young one?" he questioned then, curious sympathy entering his voice.

"I came to you because I know you would be able to help point me in the right direction. My name is Kurosawa Hitomi. I believe you knew my mother, Naomi, quite well. Several decades ago, you taught her everything she knows about martial arts," Hitomi started.

The Master paused for a second before nodding once with a small smile. "Yes. I believe I am familiar with the person you speak of," he replied. Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that he would not remember at all.

"Well, _I_ don't remember her. I don't think we can trust this girl," the green lizard whispered not too quietly into Master Fung's ears.

"Please forgive Dojo. His paranoia is quite reasonable given our situation. We have made many allies only to find out that they were less than trustworthy," Master Fung explained. At these words, the other teen monks stepped forward to stand at their Master's sides.

Hitomi nodded once. "That is understandable. Please believe me when I say that I have no intention to betray nor harm any of you," Hitomi spoke honestly. She may not consider herself to be a Xiaolin warrior, but she was definitely _not_ evil. She was somewhere in the middle. She wasn't above a little bit of rule breaking on occasion so she wasn't about to gain a halo anytime soon. That didn't mean that she couldn't tell right from wrong.

"Then how may we be of service to you?" Master Fung asked her with an accepting nod.

"I need to know where I can find Chase Young," Hitomi asked with a serious expression. The others balked at her bold statement before exchanging wary glances with each other.

~:~

"Correct me if I'm wrong here. But, Chase Young is an evil, strategic, mastermind who eats dragons for breakfast and is bent on taking over the world. And you want to _find_ the creep?" the _dragon_ known as Dojo Kanojo Cho asked Hitomi. He had made it _quite_ clear that he was a dragon and being called a lizard was an insult.

They were all sitting at a small table inside the temple with cups of tea all around. Master Fung sipped from his tea quietly while the other monks watched Dojo slither around the table while making grand gestures with his arms. Suddenly the cowboy named Clay spoke up, "I don't think you know what yer askin' there, little lady. Chase Young is as bad as it gets," he said in a surprisingly gentle tone.

"Yes. Clay is _most_ correct. A young female such as yourself could not possibly understand what you are asking," Omi dismissed with his nose held high as he sipped his tea. Hitomi shot the monk a sideways glare.

Kimiko rolled her eyes at Omi before speaking up, "Why do you want to find Chase Young anyways?"

Hitomi gripped her tea cup before frowning down at it. "Because he took my mother away from me," she answered in a hard tone. At this, everyone seat up straighter. Master Fung placed down his half-filled tea cup with a serious expression on his features. "It was about a decade ago. I was only six at the time. I lived with my mother in the village of Mihonoseki at the time. My mother was going to start instructing me in the art of martial arts. Not long after she started, we were visited by Chase Young out of the blue. He had said that he had heard of my mother's martial arts skills and wanted to test her prowess in battle. I was sure that my mother would have won. I was young. I didn't think anything of the consequences of her loss.

"But, she did lose. She put up a valiant effort. The battle went on for over a day before Chase caught the upper hand. He had the chance to end my mother's life, but instead spared her. He spared her so that she could join his ranks as one of his Fallen Warriors. Chase Young took my mother away from me and now I want to get her back," Hitomi finished in a hard tone. The others watched her with sympathetic and understanding looks, but said nothing. "Please tell me that you will help me."

"We've fought Chase before. He's not easy to beat," Raimundo offered up.

"You won't discourage me. I do not mean to insult any of you, but I have been training for this fight for many years," Hitomi went on.

"But Chase Young has been training for over fifteen hundred years," Kimiko reasoned.

"There's some truth to those words," Clay said in his Southern drawl.

"I'm not asking any of you to fight alongside me. I only want you to point me in the right direction," Hitomi urged.

"I must urge against this, Hitomi. I do not think your mother would want you to rush into battle. Not even on her behalf," Master Fung interjected kindly. Hitomi looked ready to argue once again, but held her tongue. She wasn't about to argue with a Master. With her jaw set, she glared down at her cool tea in frustration. "You are more than welcome to stay at the temple until you decide the best course of action," Master Fung finished before rising from the table. That was his final word on the situation.

Hitomi wanted to scream. She'd trained, pushed herself to her limits time and time again, travelled all the way out here, and they wouldn't even help her because they deemed her unready to face this challenge. No matter how upset she felt, she couldn't help but feel some doubt. Were they right? They had all faced Chase Young before where she had not. Maybe she was underestimating his skill or overestimating her own?

But what could she do? Master Fung had offered her stay in the temple. For so long, she'd provided herself with food, water, clothing, and shelter. After being orphaned at the tender age of six, she'd stayed with a family friend. They were a martial arts master like her mother, but nowhere near as competent. At thirteen, she'd gone out on her own in order to travel the world and hone her skills. So many years of training under different masters was going to waste.

Suddenly, Dojo let out a startled shout and convulsed on the table. He twisted and bended before starting to rake his claws over his scales. "Stop what you're doing!" he exclaimed.

"We weren't doing anything," Raimundo said dryly.

"I'm sensing a new Shen Gong Wu!" Dojo exclaimed.

"A new what?" Hitomi asked.

Dojo pulled a scroll seemingly out of nowhere before unrolling it and placing it on the table. Everyone leaned in to see what he was showing them. Hitomi's eyes widened at the sight of moving pictures surrounded by Chinese writing on the scroll. "The Genggai Gecko Shen Gong Wu is a very powerful Wu. It has the power to transform into any other She Gong Wu," Dojo explained.

" _Any_ of the Wu?" Kimiko asked with wide eyes.

"I still don't understand what Shen Gong Wu are," Hitomi spoke up.

"It is to be expected. Shen Gong Wu are mystical objects that we, as Xiaolin Warriors, must fight for to keep them out of the hands of evil to maintain the balance of the world," Omi explained to her.

"So there's no time to lose. Let's get moving, kids," Dojo said as he slithered out of the room with the teen monks following him.

Once out in the courtyard, Hitomi hung back from the other monks. She watched as Dojo grew more than three times his size into a large dragon. The other monks leapt onto his back quickly with serious expressions on their faces. "Young monks!" Master Fung's voice called out suddenly. Before they could leave, Master Fung appeared. "Why don't you join them, Hitomi? I am sure that the monks would be more than grateful for the help."

"But Master Fung! _We_ are Xiaolin Warriors! We do not need any help," Omi reasoned.

"Omi, wise is the one who readily accepts help when it is offered, despite one's capabilities," Master Fung chided softly. Hitomi raised a brow at the older man. Had he just made that up? She didn't have time to think about it as she was quickly whisked away on Dojo's back.

~:~

Hitomi looked down at the mountain peaks as they passed, barely holding in her lunch. Her hands and arms held onto Dojo's back for dear life as she wrapped her body around his form. ' _Don't look down… Don't look down…'_

"Hey! You alright back there?" Dojo called out. At the dragon's question, the four Xiaolin monks looked behind them.

"Yeah! Just great! I've always wanted to ride on the back of a dragon!" Hitomi called out with her eyes shut. Was the wind always so loud and cold?

"Look! It is _Jack Spicer!_ He has come for another defeat," Omi exclaimed.

"In your dreams, loser!" a red-haired, pale boy in a black trench coat with a funny looking jetpack exclaimed. If Hitomi squinted hard enough, she could even see traces of eyeliner on the boy. "That Shen Gong Wu is _mine!"_

"He says that every time, but we _still_ end up kicking his butt," Raimundo scoffed.

Dojo landed softly onto some grassy terrain then and allowed the teens to hop off his back. As soon as she was grounded, Hitomi quickly rushed into some nearby bushes and proceeded to empty her stomach. The others chose to ignore the sounds of her retches as they sprang into action.

"I don't think so. Jack-bots, attack!" Jack Spicer exclaimed before flying towards the shining, green, Gecko shaped Shen Gong Wu that rested in the middle of a grassy plain. Jack didn't look back as he heard the sounds of his bots being destroyed. With the press of a button, more easily appeared to take the place of the destroyed ones. It was his latest and greatest plan yet. Normally, those Xiaolin losers would tear through his bots like nothing. All he needed was bring enough bots to keep them busy long enough for him to escape with the Wu. Kind of like a Jack-bot shield. Jack grinned at his own genius. He wasn't an Evil Boy Genius for nothing…

"Jack's gonna get the Wu!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"Not if _I_ can help it. Tornado Strike, Water!" Omi exclaimed before calling forth a wave of water to knock Jack off course. Not wasting any time, Omi leapt into the fray after Jack. The small warrior used the incoming bots and stepping stones as he propelled himself off of their heads.

Jack screamed loudly as the wave of water and Omi closed in on him. Before quickly pressing a red button on his jet pack. Suddenly, a blast of fire shot out of the back of his jet pack and collided with the water to quickly evaporate it. Omi halted in his movements when he spotted the incoming fire, and quickly dodged to the side. "Too late, losers! The Wu is mine!" Jack exclaimed as he reached out his pale fingers for the Wu.

Just as Jacks hand touched the green, inanimate gecko, another hand grabbed it as well. Jack looked up in confusion to see a pair of dark brown eyes glaring back at him. "What?" Jack questioned. Jack was about to say something else, but stopped when he saw how close he was to this new, pretty girl. She _definitely_ wasn't a Xiaolin loser. Hitomi tried to pull the Wu away from him, but Jack objected loudly. "No fair! This Wu was mine!"

"Get over it!" Hitomi yelled back as she wrestled the Wu away from Jack.

"I'm not gonna let some _nobody_ push me around. No matter how cute they are! I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown, uh… What's your name again?" Jack started.

"Hitomi has the Genggai Gecko," Omi remarked with wide eyes.

"Hey! I got to it _first_ ," Jack objected to the monks before rounding on Hitomi. "Like I was saying, Hitomi, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown. Winner gets the Genggai Gecko. I wager my Golden Tiger Claws against your… What Shen Gong Wu do you have anyways?"

"Those are not _your_ Tiger Claws, Jack! You _stole_ them from our vault!" Omi objected heatedly. Jack shrugged him off carelessly.

"I don't have any Shen Gong Wu," Hitomi frowned.

"What? You've got to be _kidding_ me!" Jack exclaimed.

"Hold on a minute. Let me consult the rules here," Dojo interjected. Hitomi raised a brow. Was all of this really necessary? She had the thing in her hand! She could knock Jack out cold right now and go home! "The rules say that anything can be wagered in a Showdown that is of great value. This includes, but is not limited to, chi, Wu, or any magical artifact," Dojo read off from a book before removing a pair of reading glasses from the bridge of his snout.

"What about these?" Hitomi offered and removed her chopsticks from her hair. Her long tresses fell at once and she shook them out once, leaving all the males speechless. Kimiko rolled her eyes once. "These are a one of a kind pair of Wǔqì Chopsticks."

Dojo slithered closer to her while donning his glasses. He leaned in closely to inspect the chopsticks before nodding once. "Yep. Those are the real deal alright. Very nice. They count," Dojo declared.

"Fine. My Golden Tiger Claws against your Wǔqì Chopsticks. The game is a race across the field. First person to the Wu wins," Jack grinned a yellow-toothed grin. Hitomi recoiled from the boy in slight disgust. "Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" Jack exclaimed.

Hitomi gasped as the earth began to rumble beneath her feet. Suddenly, the already large field grew to three times its size. She watched at the ground stretched and a tall pillar of rock rose from the ground on the opposite side of the field. On top of the pillar rested the Genggai Gecko. To her far right, the Xiaolin monks stood together in new, navy blue ninja-like outfits with their elements blazing on them. Jack stood at her right, looking ready to run across the flat grassy field towards the Wu. Suddenly, Jack yelled, "Gong Yi Tampai!"

Hitomi was only momentarily surprised when Jack took off running as quickly as he could. At the monks' cheers for her to go, Hitomi took off at once. Her face fixed in determination as she quickly caught up to Jack and passed him. "Hey! No fair!" Jack exclaimed before using his jet pack to take to the air.

Just as he did, an earthquake tore through the field, causing Hitomi to misstep and trip. She fell to the ground with a thud as the earth shook beneath her. At Jack's loud, obnoxious laughter overhead, Hitomi glared at his back. Pulling herself up quickly, she took off again. Just as she was about to catch up to Jack, another earthquake ravaged the field. Now prepared for the upset, Hitomi held her ground. "You may want to pick up the pace, Hitomi!" Jack sneered behind him.

Hitomi glared. ' _Oh to hell with this,'_ she thought and gripped her chopsticks. Suddenly, the chopsticks glossed over before merging into one and lengthening into one, crystal archer's bow. To accommodate her, crystal arrows materialized in her hand just as she drew back on the bowstring.

"How'd she _do_ that?" Omi asked with wide eyes.

"It's the _Wǔqì_ Chopsticks," Dojo started. "They have the ability to shape shift into any weapon the user wants, like a bow."

The monks turned at the sound of Jack's scream to see the evildoer falling to the ground, his jet pack destroyed. The crystal arrows had pierced the pack and caused it to explode on his back. As Jack skidded to stop in the dirt, Hitomi quickly overtook him. Once again, the monks started cheering loudly.

"No _way,"_ Jack groaned and spat out some dirt and grass. "I'm not losing to some _nobody_. Golden Tiger Claws!"

Hitomi gasped when she no longer sensed Jacks presence on the field. She glanced behind her quickly before speeding up. However, in a second, she spotted Jack at the bottom of the rock pillar. He was laughing loudly while making faces at her. Growling lowly, Hitomi glared back. He was _cheating_! She'd tried to honor the Xiaolin Way and played fair and what did she get? _Cheated_.

Having her ire stoked, Hitomi quickly and literally leapt into action. She crossed the rest of the field almost instantaneously, her face fixed in concentration. With a battle cry, she raised her foot and leapt at Jack and the pillar. At the sight of Hitomi closing in, Jack let out another loud scream and crouched into a fetal position. The impact from her foot completely obliterated the pillar and sent Jack flying with yet another fear-filled scream. Hitomi landed gracefully in a crouch before standing. The Genggai Gecko fell into her waiting hands.

As if a switch had been flipped, the scenery changed once again. The field shrunk back to its normal size and the surroundings returned to normal. Hitomi stood grinning with the Golden Tiger Claws and Genggai Gecko as the monks ran up to her. They all congratulated her cheerfully while admiring her winnings.

"Way to go, girl," Raimundo congratulated her.

"I am most impressed. You fought very well," Omi praised.

Hitomi smiled and thanked them all before allowing them to take the Wu. After seeing these Shen Gong Wu in action, she was sure that she knew enough about them. Maybe _they_ could help her find Chase? The Xiaolin monks were nice enough, but they had no way of knowing what she'd been through. She would only need to borrow one. She would give it back once her mission was completed and Chase Young had been defeated.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was night.

No one would be awake this late. Hitomi snuck out of her room quietly in the guest quarters before exiting the building. The night was chilly but her body felt heated up with anticipation for what she was about to do.

After returning to the temple that afternoon, Hitomi had made sure to keep an eye on where the monks stored the Shen Gong Wu. In a small and seemingly plain courtyard where a large spiral decorated the ground. There was a combination to the vault, but she didn't bother to learn it. Stopping at the spiral, Hitomi crouched down before focusing her chi. With a precise, silent strike, she broke through the tiles on the ground and caused the spiral to open up. Quietly, she slinked inside.

She checked each and every drawer on her way down into the vault. She didn't find the Wu she was looking for until she was near the bottom. Anxiously, she gripped the Golden Tiger Claws. She didn't want to take the Genggai Gecko. It was so powerful, it was better off at the temple. With a deep breath, she left behind a note in its place and quietly called out, " _Golden Tiger Claws."_

' _Take me to Chase Young's lair.'_

It was several minutes after the lock was broken on the vault before anyone got to it. The four monks-in-training were all hoping for the same thing. That their new friend and ally _wasn't_ to blame. They found Master Fung standing at the vault with a frown on his face. "Master Fung, what has happened?" Omi asked first.

"I am afraid that our guest does not take advice very well," Master Fung started.

"Yup. It's just the Tiger Claws missing. At least she left a note," Dojo said as he slithered out of the broken vault with a piece of paper in hand.

"What? A note?" Raimundo questioned. The Shoku warrior took the note from Dojo before reading it over. Raimundo frowned. "At least she promised to bring it back."

"Well, I reckon we gotta go after her. She's got no idea the trouble she's in. She's in more danger than a cowboy in red at a bull wrangling," Clay said.

"You must hurry, young dragons. Before it is too late," Master Fung spoke just before Dojo transformed.

~:~

Chase was practicing his Tai chi in his throne room when he felt it. Someone had landed at his door, probably by the use of the Golden Tiger Claws. He couldn't determine who it was based on their chi, but whoever it was had a strong chi- a powerful fighter indeed. Chase smirked.

At the sound of Wuya's loud groan, Chase frowned. He continued his motions, not bothering with the witch. He had commanded his jungle cats to keep their eyes on the witch at all times. She was not allowed to leave for any reason. When the Genggai Gecko had revealed itself and she could not sneak away to retrieve it, she had taken to moping around him _quite_ loudly. At the sound of her bored groan, Chase bristled. "You will be silent in my presence," he commanded.

Wuya glared at Chase's back, but stayed quiet. He had been in a pissy mood lately without any explanation as to why. He had been getting better, but the Prince still an extremely short temper as of late.

Wuya closed the magazine in her hands with a frown. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the jungle cats rising to their feet with low growls building in their throats. Wuya raised a brow just as Chase ceased in his movements. He stood and faced the entryway with a cruel smirk on his face. Wuya felt a shiver go down her spine as she sat up to see who it was who had stopped by. She was slightly surprised and disappointed to see a teenage girl holding the- _Golden Tiger Claws?!_

"Where did you get that Shen Gong Wu? I know for a fact that those Xiaolin monks keep that in their vault," Wuya accused.

"I borrowed it," she answered before turning away from Wuya to glare up at Chase. Chase on the other hand, hadn't looked away from the girl. He stared down at her, mild shock alighting his features. _'It couldn't be,'_ he thought to himself. "You are Chase Young. Correct?"

Chase frowned. She couldn't be who he thought. She was dead. She'd been dead for centuries. Slowly, Chase made his way down the grand staircase to where the girl stood. His jungle cats followed behind him, waiting for his signal. The closer he got to her, the more Chase doubted himself. She looked _just_ like her. Well, not exactly. This girl looked a bit older- about two years. But she looked no less beautiful. Now at the bottom of the stairs, Chase raised a single brow, "And what is your name?"

"Kurosawa Hitomi," she answered in a hard tone.

Chase frowned deeply. He'd never heard of her before let alone met this girl. But, her face… Perhaps she was a reincarnation? Was it- _could it be_ \- possible? Whoever this girl was, she had found him with the help of Shen Gong Wu. "Why have you come?" Chase questioned. He could feel Wuya watching carefully from afar- probably waiting for the right time to sneak away. He mentally scoffed.

"I have come to retrieve something you stole from me," she replied, practically shaking in anger now. Hitomi hadn't known what she had expected. Chase Young to remember her? To remember her face as he left with her mother at his side?

" _Oh?_ And what would that be?" Chase smirked.

"My mother," the girl spat and crouched low. Chase's gazed narrowed at her fighting stance. Her form was practically flawless. Her words had intrigued him. Her mother?

Suddenly, the sound of rock shattering could be heard just before a large, green dragon flew into the room. Chase rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. Were these Xiaolin Warriors not familiar with the concept of knocking?

"Chase Young, release Hitomi at once!" Omi shouted before leaping off of Dojo's back and landing in a fighting stance.

"I believe you are poorly misinformed, young monk. I have not captured anyone," Chase said with a smirk. Omi blinked owlishly before spotting Hitomi glaring at Chase Young completely unharmed.

"Now listen here, pardner. You don't know what yer doin'. Chase Young is not someone you wanna be messin' with," Clay tried to reason with the girl.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm not leaving here until he is defeated," Hitomi said before lashing out with her fist.

Chase smirked as he blocked her attack with his palm. "You should listen to your allies," Chase advised her.

"Why? Do you not think I can beat you?" she fired back, her eyes alight with a determined fire. Chase stilled for a second, his mind gone.

" _I would advise against this," Chase said with a bored tone as his eyes moved to follow Mei's movements. She had him concerned as she moved around him in a circle. The Heylin warrior rolled his eyes at her foolishness and stood with his hands behind his back in boredom._

" _Oh really? Do you not think that I can beat you? Are you that scared of me?" she taunted before she lunged just as she had seen him do on many occasions. With ease, Chase ducked lowly and allowed her to sail clear over his head. He heard her land on the ground with a thud before rising._

 _Slowly, he made his way over to her. He saw her rubbing her rear with a pained expression before she looked up at him. She chuckled sheepishly at him with a grin. The corner of his mouth upturned at the sight of her in a small smile. Wordlessly, he offered her a hand. Taking it gratefully, she dusted off her clothes before sighing. "I think I'll leave the martial arts to you, Chase. I don't think I'm very good," she said._

" _You're right. You were terrible," Chase smirked._

" _That's a mean thing to say!" she objected with a huff. Chase chuckled lowly at her as she stuck her tongue out at him._

Chase blinked twice as he refocused on his surroundings. The Xiaolin monks were still trying to convince the girl to back down. She was circling him now. Chase was nearly floored at the uncanny likeness of this girl to Mei. The resemblance had to be more than a coincidence. Chase frowned.

"Chase Young, you defeated my mother in battle ten years ago and have kept her here as your slave since then. I challenge you for her freedom. If I win, she leaves this place with me," Hitomi spoke.

"Interesting proposition. And what do Iget if _I_ win?" Chase questioned with a smirk. From the look on her face Chase assumed that highly doubted that she would lose to him. "If I win, you will stay here and pledge your loyalty to me. But judging by how easily you turned on you allies, I can assume that your loyalty means very little."

"I wasn't given much of a choice. Nonetheless, I accept your condition," Hitomi spoke up before lunging again with a cry. With a grunt of his own, Chase managed to block her attack.

It continued that way for several minutes, him blocking her strikes, but never returning any. He took this time to observe her fully. She had to have been a reincarnation or a distant descendant. He could see Mei in her every feature. Even in the boundless anger she showed him could he see her. Mei always did have a quick temper…

"Fight me damn you!" she exclaimed before striking the side of his face with her fist.

Chase froze at the contact, his face still turned away from her. The room got deathly quiet as he straightened out. He fixed a hard glare on the girl. He had let himself be distracted by her, but no longer. She was _not_ Mei. "If that is what you wish," he said before lunging at her.

She appeared to be just as skilled at dodging as she was at offensive combat. She caught him by surprise when she was able to dodge one of his punches before slipping between his legs and away from him. He caught the foot she aimed at his head before tossing her away with a flick of his wrist.

Chase frowned at where she was rising once again. She was an excellent fighter. He would give her that much. She was far better than any of the Xiaolin monks. She would make an excellent addition to his jungle cats. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw her brandish two, crystal chopsticks from her hair. With her hair now flowing freely behind her, she looked almost identical to Mei. Caught up in images of the past flashing before him, Chase nearly missed dodging one of her strikes with a small, crystal dagger in her hand. ' _The Wǔqì Chopsticks? So they do exist…'_

" _I'd reckon that she's got Chase on the ropes,"_ Chase heard the Dragon of the Earth say.

" _No. Chase Young is not fighting to the best of his abilities,"_ Omi had commented.

" _So he's toying with her?"_ the Dragon of the Wind next.

" _No. It is not on purpose. He appears to be distracted,"_ Omi surmised. Chase would have praised the young monk for his astute detection, had he not been busy.

Omi was right. He was distracted. This girl, no matter how much he tried to ignore it, had to have been a reincarnation of the girl he'd known so long ago. With every strike he posed, he imagined himself attacking her and hesitated. At one of these instances, she took advantage of his hesitation, grabbing his outstretched arm before pushing him down to the ground with his arm locked in a death grip behind him. He growled lowly as her foot struck down on the back of his armor.

He could feel his true self clawing at the surface, begging to be released. It wanted out. He felt his control snapping as she pulled at his arm and pushed his face into the floors of his palace. He wasn't about to suffer such a humiliating defeat. Not to her.

With a loud snarl, Chase let his body shift, pulling his arm away from her before knocking away Hitomi easily. He released a loud roar before letting his eyes land on Hitomi. She had fallen not too far away from him on her back. Now towering over her in his lizard-like form, he stalked closer to her. The pathetic monks had tried to intervene, but his jungle cats were more than ready for them. Chase raised a clawed hand above his head as he approached her. He could see her eyes widen fearfully and a gasp escaped her. He could smell her fear… Suddenly, she shut her eyes before looking away from him. When a new scent hit his nose, he stilled. ' _Tears?'_

 _He was in his true form. His latest challenge was proving to be slightly difficult. They had put up an admirable fight, but now that he had transformed… They didn't stand a chance. Chase released a mighty roar as he readied himself for the final blow._

" _Chase! Please stop!" he heard a voice break through the bloodlust. He paused. There was a new scent on the wind. He turned around to spot Mei standing not too far away from him. Even in this thick forest with only the moon as a light source, he could make out her features easily. He smelled the tars before he saw them run down her face. "This isn't you. Please stop," she pleaded with him._

Chase blinked down at the girl before him. She seemed to have accepted her fate. With an expressionless mask, Chase lowered his claws. He shifted back down to his human form and placed his hands behind his back. He breathed deeply and evenly to help calm his nerves. When he did gaze down at the girl, she was staring up at him with wide, teary eyes. The way her eyes shined left a hollow feeling in his chest. "It appears that you have lost," Chase spoke up. He allowed her to stand and face him with a resigned expression. "You fought well, but not well enough," Chase reminded her. He could see her look down at her feet with a quiet huff. He smirked.

" _No, Hitomi,"_ Chase heard the Dragon of Fire say.

"Chase Young, I will not allow you to do this!" Omi valiantly protested. Chase was about to smugly point out that the conditions of their agreement, but it was Hitomi who made the first move.

"I may not have the Xiaolin sense of honor, but I know when I am bested. I gave my word. You all and Master Fung were right. I wasn't ready. This was my decision and now it is my consequence," she said while making her way over to them. She handed Omi the Tiger Claws before bowing to them.

Having had enough of the monks' presence, Chase snapped his fingers once. The jungle cats surrounded the monks at once with loud snarls and growls escaping them. "Now if you would be so kind as to _leave,_ " Chase inputted. Dojo quickly transformed before scooping up the monks onto his back and fleeing in a rush. Chase watched them go before letting his eyes fall on Hitomi. She stared after the monks for some time before sighing deeply. Chase felt Wuya approach slowly before he heard her mutter, "Great. _Another_ cat. Just what this place needs: _more_ hairballs."

Chase growled lowly at her in the back of his throat. Wuya stiffened before waving Chase off with a grin. "If you're going to turn me into one of your kittens, then so be it," he heard Hitomi speak up then. She faced him with a hard expression.

He raised a brow at her bravery before smirking in a predatory grin. "That won't be necessary," Chase said before turning to leave back up the stairs where he came. Wuya watched him with a curious expression, but he ignored her. Upon reach the top of the staircase, Chase fell gracefully into the Lotus position and closed his eyes in meditation. He couldn't keep the grin off his face, however.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hitomi didn't know whether to feel confused, relieved, or disappointed. For the past week, she had lived in Chase Young's lair with him, the Heylin witch Wuya, and his many jungle cats. Her mother had recognized her instantly, a large and slim lioness with a golden brown coat. The large cat had pulled off looking disheartened at the sight of seeing her daughter in this palace alongside her. Hitomi had cried at the sight of her mother before embracing the cat wholeheartedly. She'd apologized until her throat had gone dry before she felt the lioness purr comfortingly. Despite not being able to speak, those large, brown feline eyes had displayed enough love and understanding to sooth Hitomi's pain.

Now, Hitomi always roamed the palace with her mother at her side. Surprisingly, no other jungle cats ever followed her. Hitomi was sure that Chase would have commanded his feline army to keep an eye on her daily like they did with Wuya. The cats always seemed to stalk Wuya suspiciously while growly lowly in the back of their throats. It wasn't hard to tell that the cats held just as much distrust in Wuya as Chase did. But why wasn't she given the same treatment?

Chase had left her to her own devices, going about his daily routine as if she didn't exist. He meditated, trained, ate, and slept like a normal person. It was a bit disappointing. For as long as she could remember, Hitomi had always believed the tales of the Prince of Darkness to be true. Master martial artist with unlimited Heylin powers at his disposal. And yet, the only evil thing Chase had done lately was threaten Wuya's well-being. Even then, he never really _did_ anything to her.

Chase focused on his chi as he meditated in his throne room with a glowing aura about him. It had been a week since the girl, Hitomi, had joined him. He had spent the week observing her from a distance. It was amazing how like Mei she was when he wasn't around. The girl she showed him was a near opposite to the girl she was whenever she was alone. Despite being ever graceful and precise in battle, she was quite clumsy and even a tad bit hopeless. She'd gotten lost in his lair more than once until he had found her and indirectly showed her the way. Even now, he could sense her approaching him slowly, as if not sure. He nearly raised a brow. This was a first. She had always made a point to avoid him. He patiently waited for her to speak up.

Hitomi bit down on her bottom lip before opening her mouth to speak. She could tell that Chase had a short temper, despite his self-proclaimed, amazing control. "Chase? I had a question," she started.

"Speak," he told her without halting in his meditation.

Hitomi blinked once owlishly. She hadn't expected him to actually listen to her. "I was wondering why you did not turn me into a jungle cat as well," she spoke, trying not to show how nervous she felt.

"If you wish to roam as a feline, it could always be arranged," Chase said with a smirk that she couldn't see.

"I'm not saying that," she objected in a louder voice. "I was just curious is all," she finished quietly. What was wrong with him? This was not what she expected of the _great_ Chase Young. She almost didn't want to believe that she had lost to him, but then the sight of his lizard form staring down at her hungrily flashed in her mind.

"What is it _now_?" Chase asked with feigned annoyance in his voice. He would be lying if he said that her presence annoyed him.

"I don't know. I suppose I was just expecting _more_ ," she mused while shrugging. Moving around some tigers and a panther, Hitomi stopped at Chase's throne before running a hand over the chair. Risking a glance at the immortal boy, she slid down onto his seat quietly.

" _More?"_ Chase repeated in question.

"Yeah. I've heard all the legends and stories about the "Prince of Darkness, Chase Young"," Hitomi said with air quotes even though Chase couldn't see them. "But you don't seem all that bad. At least, not when you're like this," she added the last part quietly.

Chase nearly flinched. He'd heard what she had said, but didn't comment. He didn't think about what he would have done to her had he not changed back to his human form when he had. The fear in those eyes was not something he'd wanted to remember. "Not all that bad. Perhaps I am losing my touch?" Chase finally answered and decided to humor her.

"Maybe you are. I've seen Wuya do more evil while I've been here," Hitomi commented as she stretched on the throne lazily.

" _Really?"_ Chase inquired, a brow raised. ' _What have you been up to, Wuya?'_

"Yeah. I saw her sneaking out a few times. She always came back an hour or two later though. She always looked upset and was mumbling about Shen Gong Wu," Hitomi commented easily as she reached down to pet a tiger on the head. The large cat purred pleasantly before relaxing.

Chase finally opened his eyes as he ceased his meditation. Hitomi looked up to see him rise up and stand before facing her. She stilled when his eyes landed on her completely sprawled out on his throne. Chase spared her a glance before speaking, "If you'll excuse me, Hitomi. There is something I must take care of."

Hitomi watched him go with wide eyes. She was sure that he would have said something about her sitting on his throne. And yet, _nothing_. Chase walked away with a couple of his cats trailing behind him. Hitomi blinked confusedly before reclining sideways on the throne once again. "I don't think Chase Young is as bad as the stories say. They're probably rumors anyways. I bet he probably made some of them up just to scare people," Hitomi laughed a little while petting the tiger.

~:~

Wuya paced near the pool with a storm weighing on her mind. She cursed once before plopping down onto the fountain pool with a defeated exhale. It was harder than she'd admit to procure any Shen Gong Wu as of late. With the monks and even Jack doing better than ever, she barely had a chance. By the time she was able to sneak away to retrieve some Wu, the battle would have already started. "At least Chase is in a better mood. I'm not sure how much more of his tantrums I could take," she mused to herself as she dipped her dainty feet into the cool waters.

" _Tantrums_ , I see," Wuya heard Chase's voice speak up behind her. She froze before glancing over her shoulder at the young man. Chase was smirking at her with a glint in his reptilian eyes. Three of his jungle cats were poised at his sides.

"Oh, _no._ I didn't mean _you_ Chase. It was… _another_ Chase?" Wuya finished lamely. Her silver tongue was failing her today.

"What's the matter, Wuya? Silver tongue turned to lead?" Chase mocked. Wuya bristled at once, but held her tongue. "You've been going after the Shen Gong Wu."

" _Me?_ How could I Chase when I've been here the whole time?" Wuya reasoned. At Chase's dry stare, she knew there was no point. "Who told you?" she finished and folded her arms grumpily.

"Hitomi is far more observant than I gave her credit for. If _she_ could catch you, I'm a little ashamed to know that I didn't," Chase smirked.

"Well what can I say, Chase? Old habits are hard to break," Wuya went on while rising from the fountain. She sashayed towards him, a predatory glint in her dark eyes. She placed a delicate hand to his cheek before smirking coyly at him. Despite her seductive tactics, Wuya felt her blood boiling. The _girl_ had ratted her out.

"Well I suggest you try _harder,"_ Chase hissed and snatched her hand as if it offended him. With a harsh glare, he turned his back to her and left.

As Wuya watched him leave, a frown marred her face. So, the girl had ratted her out? Well, she would just have to make sure it didn't happen again. Wuya would have a little girl talk with Hitomi. As long as the two saw eye to eye, there would be no more problems.

~:~

Hitomi stretched her arms above her head as she walked to her room later that evening. The passageway to her room was poorly lit. She'd have to do something about it one of these days. She'd spent the day with the jungle cats. Apparently, word had gotten out amongst them that her nimble finger were great at giving belly and ear scratches. The jungle cats were good company. And although she'd never thought that she'd say it, so was Chase Young.

She had been in the middle of her dinner when he'd strode in purposefully. She'd halted in her feast, ready to leave in an instant. However, he simply made himself a plate of completely balanced meal portions and dug in. She'd watched him eat for several minutes, the way he'd cut his meat before placing the smaller pieces in his mouth and chewed neatly. After some time, he'd spoken up. "It's rude to stare at someone," he'd admonished her without any sort of irritation. A blush had risen up to her cheeks at once before she had gone back to her meal.

She hadn't known what she had been expecting. Maybe he would have eaten like the beast in that Disney movie? He would have changed into his beastly form before devouring a bloody steak whole?

Hitomi shook her head as she walked to dispel the thoughts. It took several seconds before she felt the presence of another following her. Just as she turned to face her stalker, a thin hand grabbed her face, covering her mouth in the process. The hand raised her off the ground before shoving her forcefully into the wall. Hitomi blinked down in confusion.

"I think it's time we had a little chat. Girl to girl," Wuya hissed. Hitomi's eyes widened before she began to struggle. She kicked at Wuya while trying to pry the woman's hand away from her angrily. With a precise strike to her gut, Wuya was able to knock the air and fight out of the girl with one blow. "Your little mouth got me in trouble with Chase. So, I don't think it would be unfair of me to rip out your tongue as repayment."

Hitomi's eyes widened fearfully. Her stomach was killing her. Wuya didn't look like much of a fighter, but the witch sure could pack a punch. Hitomi was about to struggle once again, but the sound of low growling stopped her. Her blood ran cold. Wide, fear-filled eyes searched for the beast that she knew was hiding in the shadows.

" _Wuya, release her,"_ Chase's darker, reptilian voice hissed. At once, Wuya dropped Hitomi onto her rear and stepped away. Hitomi still hadn't seen him, but she could see a tall figure with blazing, yellow eyes stalking towards them. Her heart rate skyrocketed as she back away slowly.

"Chase, I didn't hear you arrive," Wuya started with a coy grin. Before she could continue, Chase let out a loud roar at the witch. Both females covered their ears at the sound of Chase's, foundation-rocking roar. Hitomi curled in on herself while Wuya's eyes widened in pure shock and terror. With a slight squeak, she quickly teleported away from the monster, Hitomi be damned. She wasn't about to have Chase rip her to shreds.

When Chase had stopped roaring, Hitomi peeked around her with an eye open. Wuya had vanished and left her to fend for herself. Hitomi mentally cursed the cowardly witch before turning to face Chase. Her heart hadn't slowed in its race and neither had her fear quelled. She had been wrong. Chase Young was a monster- a dangerous monster who would surely claw her to death without a second-

"Are you alright?" Chase's now human voice called out to her.

"W-what?" Hitomi breathed as Chase stepped towards her. She wanted to back away, but froze. Chase had changed back. He stood above her in his armor, his hands hanging loosely at his sides. She was even more surprised when he offered her his hand. "What?" she parroted.

Mentally rolling his eyes at her, Chase reached down to heave the girl onto her feet. He helped her steady herself before stepping back. He watched her stare at him with wide, astonished eyes, but said nothing. There were questions swimming in those brown eyes of hers. Rather than answer any of them, he moved around her to leave. "Get some sleep," he ordered her as he left.

' _What the hell?'_ Hitomi thought as she stared after the young man. After several moments, she numbly walked towards her room. What had just happened? Chase had _saved_ her from Wuya? "What?" Hitomi asked herself again once she was alone.

~:~

Chase made it back to his room without transforming again. The urge was simmering just below the surface. The beast was demanding to be released, to find Wuya, to spill her blood. Chase breathed deeply with his eyes closed.

The witch had crossed the line when she threatened Hitomi. Hitomi wasn't Mei, but that didn't mean that he didn't care for the girl. As miniscule as the feelings were, they were there. He was already getting soft around her. She'd done things he would have set his jungle cats on her for were she _anyone_ else. But she wasn't. She was Hitomi, the reincarnation of Mei, the girl he'd _lov-_

Chase growled. At this point, Chase had had enough. He moved towards his bathroom, ready to prepare himself for sleep. He didn't succumb to petty, human emotions nor pleasures of the flesh. But he was no fool. There was _something_ there. The last thing he needed was to get _involved_ with the girl. He couldn't lose _another_ one…


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! I HAVE to stress this: **THIS STORY IS AVAILABLE TO READ ON WATTPAD.** Wattpad is a website/app where authors post their work, like Fanfiction dot net. I have an account on Wattpad and have been posting this story there. You can obviously continue to read this story here, but there is more available to read on Wattpad. The updates will come out on Wattpad much faster than here (I have seven chapters up there right now).

Just letting you guys know.

~:~

Once she had awoken the next morning, Hitomi was tempted to remain in bed and ignore the world outside of her bedroom. She wasn't sure whether Wuya would still be waiting for her- waiting for the right moment to strike. Why hadn't she kept her mouth shut? She'd gone and blabbed to Chase and now Wuya had it out for her. In a fair fight, Hitomi was sure that she could at least hold her own against the witch. But, that's if Wuya fought fair. _'As if that would ever happen_.'

With a sigh, Hitomi got out of bed to get ready for the day. She would just spend the day training. She'd been slacking off lately anyways. After losing at Chase's hands, she no longer felt the need to train day in and day out. Her drive had just vanished. "I'll just have to get it back," she muttered to herself.

Dressed in loose robes with her hair tied up in a bun, Hitomi got to work on her stretches. She had found an empty area in Chase's lair carved out of a bright blue marble with a large waterfall at the rear of the room. Once she felt loose enough to begin, she faced her opponent- her own mother. "Don't baby me, mother. I don't plan on going easy on you," Hitomi said with a smirk. The lioness growled lowly with a grin while slipping into a low crouch. With a loud roar, Naomi pounced.

Swooping lowly, Hitomi was able dodge her mother's attack just before striking up at her furry torso. With a pained yowl, Naomi fell back with a harsh slam into the floors. Shaking herself out, she quickly rose up and began circling Hitomi. Crouched lowly, Hitomi kept her eyes trained on the large lioness.

~:~

Chase moved through his lair without any destination in mind. From what he could sense, Wuya had hidden herself away on the other side of his lair- away from him and Hitomi. Despite not displaying it, Chase was pleased that the witch had enough sense not to interfere with the girl any longer. He had been most gracious and not pursued Wuya last night despite having every urge to dispense his own brand of justice upon her.

As he was passing over a bridge with two tigers following close behind him, Chase heard the sounds of female grunting and a lion's roar. Casually peering over the side of the ledge, Chase raised a brow at what he had spotted. Hitomi was sparring with one of his lionesses and appeared to be holding her own.

Mei couldn't fight to save her life. But Hitomi was quite the accomplished fighter. She was graceful, precise, and- when necessary- a bit deadly. Through narrowed gaze, Chase smirked. Despite the copious amounts of praise for her skill level that Chase could silently produce, he could still see the flaws in her form and technique. It would take an extremely trained eye to find such flaws.

Hitomi was catching her breath when her training was suddenly interrupted. Chase had literally _fallen_ from the _sky_ with both his hands clasped behind his back and not a hair out of place. Hitomi raised a brow at his immaculate appearance. Did he use gel in his hair or something? No, it didn't look like it.

"I must give credit where it is due. You are an excellent warrior. While your form is indeed perfected, there are still glaring holes in your defense," Chase said in an all-knowing tone and small smirk in place.

Hitomi frowned deeply with a glare. "Oh _really_? I'll get right to work on fixing it then," Hitomi said with a roll of her eyes. She was about to return to her training when she spotted the foot flying towards her. She narrowly dodged the attack with a leap backwards before staring at Chase in shock. "What was _that_ for!?"

Chase shook his head and made a _'tsk-tsk_ ' noise. "Sloppy," he commented.

Eyebrows furrowing, Hitomi glared. She spotted her mother moving out of the way along with two tigers. Not bothering to hesitate, Hitomi struck out her right fist at Chase's head. Not bothering to dodge, Chase grabbed her by the wrist and upper arm before sending her flying over his head. As she sailed through the air, Hitomi released a panicked shriek. At the last second she was able to right herself mid-air just before landing on her hands and flipping into an upright position.

"You were moving too slowly. I find it hard to believe that you were trying to hit me," Chase taunted over his shoulder, his hands clasped behind his back again.

Hitomi inhaled deeply before releasing it slowly. She needed a clear head to fight Chase. Running at him again, Hitomi kept a sharp watch on Chase. She spotted his right leg twitch and quickly moved to dodge it. Ha! She had him this time! She had been able to easily dodge the kick he had aimed at her stomach. _Yes_!

 _Wham_!

Naomi covered her eyes with her paws as she watched her daughter slide along the floor on her back, repulsed away by Chase yet again. Hitomi blinked up at the high ceilings in utter shock. She had dodged his kick, but he'd still managed to strike her with his fist. How had he-

"How do you expect to win if you don't watch your opponent's movements?"

Hitomi growled lowly. "I _was_ watching," she snapped back.

Chase smirked at her. "Well then I suppose I'm just too clever for you," Chase said.

Hitomi glared up at him from the floor before picking herself up slowly. Dusting out her robes, she squared her shoulders, sunk down into her fighting stance, and faced him again. Chase matched her stance easily, his smirk still in place. She hadn't expected him to make the first move.

The next few minutes consisted of Chase taking up the offensive. Every move he made tested Hitomi's defenses. Sometimes, he was blocked. Other times left Hitomi falling ungracefully to the ground. Whenever he spotted a hole in her defenses, he would exploit it mercilessly until she showed any sign of progression. They barely spoke. Chase could see that she was doing her best to focus on the match.

After about three hours of this, Chase was beginning to gain the upper hand. He was cornering her back against the waterfall. With a quick jab directly to the face, Chase was sure to seal his victory. Hitomi had been able to dodge the punch, but had unfortunately misstepped. Leaning precariously backwards over the ledge surrounding the waterfall and pool of crystal water it fed into, she swung her arms wildly to try to regain her balance. Just as she felt her balance give way, she shrieked loudly. The fall never came, however.

Cracking an eye open hesitantly, Hitomi spotted Chase gripping her by the front of her robes. He stared at her evenly before speaking. "Not bad. It's only slightly, but you've improved. Maybe next time you'll put up more of a fight," he commented. As he expected, Hitomi's face quickly morphed into one of anger. Before she could unleash her tirade on him, he released her robes and allowed her to finally fall into the pool.

Turning on his heel, Chase took a seat on the floors in the Lotus position. He allowed himself to cool down with some meditation. He could hear Hitomi gasping and sloshing about in the pool behind him, but he didn't turn to her. He could hear the slopping noises of the water dripping from her frame as it fell to the floors as she stomped (quite loudly) over to him. Even when she loomed over him angrily (he could feel the anger rolling off her in waves), he didn't open his eyes. "Please do not drip on me," he requested patiently.

She wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was a lapse in judgement? Whatever it was, Hitomi was sure that she would regret it. Taking her hair out of its sagging bun, Hitomi proceeded to wring out her hair over the Prince of Darkness. She watched him twitch once and his brows furrow as the drops of water hit him. A cold stone of fear dropped in her stomach. "Um..." she started but didn't continue.

"You must be deaf or have a death wish," Chase drawled lowly.

 _He didn't know why he bothered to meditate with Mei around. She must have been the loudest girl in all of China. He was sure that she was purposefully clattering the pots as loud as she could. When the sound of a pot shattering reached his ears, he tensed and growled lowly. "Is the noise necessary?" he rhetorically questioned._

 _"Sorry, Chase. I'll try to be quieter," Mei chirped in response._

 _"That's what you said ten minutes ago," Chase grumbled quietly. He could hear her rise up from the riverbank and walk over to him. "I am sure that you still need the water to wash the pots."_

 _"I know," she replied, but didn't say any more._

 _Chase almost sighed in exasperation. When he felt drops of water fall on his face, he twitched once. "Please do not drip water on me," he said._

 _Drip, drip._

 _Chase grit his teeth before opening his eyes to glare up at Mei. He spotted her poised over him with a large, clay pot in her small hands. Her eyes were wide in panic. "What do you think you're doing?"_

 _"I wasn't doing anything. I was going to offer you some water. I figured that you would be thirsty," she said before offering him the pot filled with water. She smiled brightly at him._

 _Chase took the pot from her while rising. He did take a drink. He was slightly parched. The sun had been unforgiving today. Spotting Mei's smile, he rolled his eyes at her. "You're a terrible liar."_

 _"I would have got you, but the pot was heavy. But don't worry. One of these days, I'll catch you off guard," Mei said confidently._

Chase watched Hitomi carefully for several seconds to see what she would do. Staring up at the mild panic in her eyes, he wasn't sure what he wanted her to do. Laugh, smile, and wave him off as if he weren't a real threat? No. He should want her to be scared- terrified of him. He wasn't one to be taken lightly. Standing at his full height, he stared down at Hitomi. He was only mildly surprised to see her staring up at him defiantly.

Hitomi wasn't Mei.

Hitomi had a warrior's spirit. She didn't easily give in, but she knew how to pick her battles. Chase had to admit that he did like that about her. "I suppose that you feel you must gain some _small_ victory today after having suffered a loss so great," Chase mused and brushed the water off his armor. He left quietly, not bothering to see the look of shock Hitomi was shooting him behind his back.

She was still breathing. Chase hadn't even raised his voice or growled at her. Hitomi shook her head with a loud exhale. "I give up," she muttered before heading back to her room. She didn't have much experience with boys. Maybe they all were this complicated?

~:~

After almost a week of ten-hour sparring sessions with Chase, Hitomi could honestly say that she was _exhausted_. Chase was nothing short of a slave driver. He would drill her on the same technique for hours until she could perform it perfectly. And once she had done that, he would use some new technique to completely disarm her. Then, he would finish his onslaught with some smug jab at her abilities- or lack thereof.

The only times he bothered to let up were during their lunch breaks. For one hour, she and Chase ate their lunches together in absolute silence. Hitomi always felt awkward during the encounters. She had wanted to start a conversation, but she never knew exactly how to. How did you start a conversation with _the_ Chase Young?

Not being one to accept defeat without a fight, Hitomi decided that she would make an attempt that Friday. She stared down at her plate of rice, vegetables, and stake before sitting up and facing Chase. "You must really like soup," Hitomi commented. This was already going well... To be fair, he was usually drinking soup.

Chase was drinking his soup with his eyes shut. If he had heard her, he didn't show it. "It is my special Lao Mang Lone soup," Chase told her.

Hitomi waited for him to continue. But when he didn't, she said, "Oh... Is it any good?"

"I have been making this soup for centuries. I have definitely developed a practiced hand at making it," Chase replied with a sly look as if he had just made a joke.

"Oh. Can I try some?"

" _Absolutely_ not," Chase snapped with a growl. His reptilian eyes narrowed at her from over his bowl before closing once again. She could not have known what she was asking. To drink the Lao Mang Lone soup would transform her into a beast- an immortal, soulless beast.

Hitomi recoiled before going back to her food. She huffed once. "Geez. You don't like to share. I get it. You don't need to bite my head off," Hitomi mumbled to herself.

He had nearly scoffed at her. "The Lao Mang Lone soup is created with Heylin Magic and keeps whoever drinks it young forever," Chase started. "In exchange for strength and immortality, you lose your soul and are transformed into a monster."

Hitomi swallowed at that. She eyed the soup bowl in Chase's hands before letting her eyes rest on him. She had heard the tales of Chase Young selling his soul to the Heylin side, but she never expected... "Well, can't you just stop?"

"To stop drinking it would mean that I lose my ability to remain in my more human form," Chase explained slowly. He didn't bother to look at Hitomi. He could sense the unease in her. It wouldn't be long before she could no longer bear to be in his presence.

 _'Young forever?_ ' she kept thinking. Staring at Chase's face, she realized that he didn't have a single wrinkle. _'He's over a thousand years old, but he doesn't look that much older than I do._ ' "You must be pretty miserable," Hitomi said softly.

Chase nearly choked on his soup. " _Excuse_ me?" he questioned and raised a brow.

"To have lived for so long," Hitomi explained. "To stick around for fifteen hundred years? It's gotta get boring after a while. Especially when you live in a place _this_ big with no one to talk to," she finished with a shrug. "You haven't gone crazy yet though so I suppose you'll be alright."

Chase felt his eye twitch. He _should_ have put her in her place. He wasn't someone that you could disrespect so readily and _especially_ not to his face. _Obviously_ , she was getting far too comfortable in his presence. He opened his mouth, a snide remark and threat on the tip of his tongue. He paused when he saw her staring at him, however. Her eyes were wide as they stared him directly in the eyes. She didn't look scared, worried, or even disgusted. She just... _stared_. Chase sighed and returned to his meal. He chose to ignore the sound of her light laughter.

~:~

There was something peculiar going on.

Wuya couldn't explain it, but things were definitely amiss. She first noticed it when she had reappeared in Chase's palace the next day after her run-in with Chase's reptilian form. She had been walking throughout the palace when she had spotted Chase and Hitomi sparring near a waterfall. She had watched the girl get tossed around by Chase for a bit before walking on. Wuya had been sure that Chase would have already done away with the girl by now. What purpose did she serve?

Things had only gotten stranger when she had spotted the two having lunch together a few days later. They weren't exchanging words, but it was still a unnerving sight. Chase had never cared for Wuya's presence, often choosing solitude over her companionship. Yet, here he was willingly seeking out that girl's companionship. The last time Wuya had seen Chase so interested in another was during his _obsession_ with Omi.

Was Chase thinking of converting this girl to the Heylin side?

"What would that accomplish?" Wuya mused quietly as she stared down into the water of her favorite fountain. Chase knew that the world existed in a balance. If he brought the girl over to the Heylin side, there would be someone just as powerful to join the Xiaolin side. Besides, the girl wasn't much of fighter anyways. She was only decent.

And then it hit her.

Was Chase attracted to the girl? Wuya shook the idea off as soon as it came. There could be no way. Chase simply wasn't the type. Even before he had joined the Heylin side, Wuya could't recall ever seeing Chase with a woman. _'Those monks and their sacred vows_.' No. Chase couldn't be attracted to the girl. Despite how average she was in the looks department (at least compared to Wuya she was), Chase wouldn't bother to pay attention to her for that. The only thing Chase cared about was fighting strength. "He probably wants to make her his apprentice or something," Wuya shrugged.

~:~

Omi squared his shoulders as he made his way to where Master Fung would surely be meditating. He had been silent for weeks, but he could no longer do so in good conscience. They had been busy lately. The amount of Shen Gong Wu that had reveal themselves had been staggering. But, now that they had a moment to breathe, Omi seized the chance.

Omi had found Master Fung having tea with Dojo wrapped around his bald head and his fellow monks lounging around at the table. Kimono was tapping away at her PDA, Raimundo was reading a magazine, and Clay was eating a large plate of pork chops. "Master Fung, I must speak with you urgently. It is _most_ important," Omi spoke up.

"What is it, Omi?" Master Fung replied while the other monks turned to Omi in question.

"Master Fung, as Xiaolin warriors, we cannot allow this injustice to proceed any longer! We have allowed Chase Young to hold Hitomi against her will. It is our duty to fight the forces of evil wherever they may exist," Omi stressed. Everyone sat up straighter before looking to each other.

Master Fung sighed once. "Omi, I understand how you feel. But, you cannot challenge Chase Young. I would not be wise."

"I understand that he is powerful, Master Fung. But we would not be doing our job as Xiaolin warriors if we did not even _attempt_ to save her!" Omi objected.

"Omi!" Master Fung exclaimed, raising his voice slightly. "It would help _no-one_ to rush into battle unprepared to face an enemy. It is disheartening what has happened to a friend, but I must implore that you do not do anything foolish."

Omi frowned deeply while glaring down at the floor. ' _Foolish_ ,' hung in the air like a dark cloud. The word rang irritatingly in Omi's ears. Staring sadly at Omi, Master Fung sighed again before rising from the table and leaving. The other warriors watched Master Fung leave before turning back to Omi. "I'm sorry, Omi," Kimiko said sympathetically.

"You know we want to help, lil buddy. But, Chase Young is too strong fer us," Clay said with a hopeless shrug.

Glaring down at the tiles, Omi was close to shouting at his friends. They sounded like they had already given up without even trying! How could they call themselves Xiaolin warriors!? Suddenly looking up at Raimundo, Omi spoke, "Raimundo, surely _you_ understand? We cannot just _leave_ her there!"

"Listen, Omi-" Raimundo started.

" _You_ are our leader, Raimundo. As our leader, surely you realize the importance of the situation," Omi said.

"Master Fung already said no, Omi. We can't disobey orders," Raimundo argued. Disobeying your Master's orders was not the Xiaolin way. Raimundo had learned that lesson the hard way already. The last thing he wanted was for Omi to make the same mistakes he had.

"So you think we should leave her to suffer this tragedy alone!? When Chase Young had captured me, _none_ of you turned your back on me. You fought for me despite knowing that Chase Young was stronger than all of us," Omi argued. The guilt that each of his friends had been feeling suddenly magnified.

"Omi-" Kimiko started in a placating tone.

"Forget it," Omi snapped, cutting her off. Steaming mad, Omi stormed out of the room and offered a "I'm going to meditate" over his shoulder before leaving the temple entirely. Raimundo sighed deeply as he hung his head.

"Don't worry about it, Rai. Omi will come around," Kimiko soothed.

"Yeah, but the little dude has a point," Raimundo said before getting up and leaving as well. This was not what expected when he became leader.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Like I said in the beginning, WATTPAD! Check out this story there!


	6. Chapter 5

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! (Wattpad...WATTPAD... **WATTPAD!** )

~:~

If someone had told her weeks ago that she would become friends with Chase Young, Hitomi would have _personally_ brought them to a mental institution. She could _never_ be friends with someone so evil, dastardly, conniving, malicious, and so on. The guy had enslaved a single mother and taken her away from her child just for kicks! And that wasn't even the worst of his crimes- centuries of enslaving warriors and just being an all-around jerk. No. Hitomi could never- would never- call Chase Young her friend.

"You're not focusing," Chase's voice chided her.

Hitomi nearly sighed loudly. "How do you even know? Aren't you supposed to be _focusing_?"

"I can sense your lack of focus. If I were not as skilled as I am, your lack of focus would distract me," Chase answered.

"Be careful. If your head gets any bigger your neck my snap from the weight," Hitomi chided playfully. She snickered lightly, but ceased when she felt Chase's hand colliding with the back of her head.

" _Silence_ ," Chase hissed at her with irritation lacing his tone.

" _Ow_. Geez. You don't take criticism well. Do you?"

"Learn your place and I wouldn't have to teach it to you," Chase said with a growl.

Hitomi smirked. Despite his agitated growling, Hitomi couldn't sense any malice coming from Chase. She was getting much better at reading his body language and mannerisms. He may be annoyed with her, but he wasn't genuinely upset with her. The short tempered, malicious Chase Young she had first pictured was quickly being replaced by a serious, mostly grumpy Chase. "I'm sorry, Chase. My mother taught me better. I'm supposed to respect my elders. Forgive me, Ancient One."

Chase groaned lowly as his shoulders tensed. " _Obviously_ , you are not benefiting from meditation. You are free to go," Chase said. Chase heard her giggle once before she rose and walked away. He hadn't actually thought that she would leave. He was sure that she would stay to annoy him some more.

He felt conflicted. While he didn't _loathe_ her presence, he didn't want to form too much of an attachment to Hitomi. She was only human. Eventually, she would leave him. He hadn't bothered to use his Heylin powers to change her into one of his jungle cats and provide her with longevity to rival his own. She would grow old and die while he remained the same.

Would she leave him even before then?

He had been training her for only a short time, but her skills had improved greatly. Chase was sure that Hitomi could hold her own against any one of the Xiaolin monks, master or not. If she kept up her training, would she be able to defeat him and win her freedom?

Unlikely.

Would she bother to try?

Probably.

Chase hummed lowly with a deep frown on his face.

~:~

Hitomi sighed as she dug through the clothes in her closet. How was it possible that she'd gone through all her clothes!? Lifting two robes for observation, she spotted holes in both of them. One of them even had a small blood stain on the sleeve!

"That's what I get for training in all my clothes," she muttered while tossing the robes away. Her modest room was covered in discarded robes. The white floors and the red sheets on her twin bed were no longer visible.

Chase had been kind enough to provide her with all these clothes but they were all ruined or soiled for the most part. Would he be mad? _'Probably not. He can probably afford to get more. It's just clothes. It's not like I broke a bed or something_.'

Hearing a low growl, Hitomi turned towards the sound. She spotted her mother pawing at something in the closet. Peering into the back of the wooden closet, Hitomi's mouth gaped slightly. At the back of the closet were several, high quality robes. Fine silks with beautiful shades of colors. "I've never worn anything this expensive. I'm just going to get something to eat, mom. I don't need to look fancy," Hitomi objected. At her mother's purrs, Hitomi held up one of the plainer robes to examine it. A plain red, silk robe with an onyx black sash around the waist. "I guess I can wear it just to get something to eat. I'll come right back so it's not that big of a deal."

With her mother at her side, Hitomi walked towards the dining room. She felt slightly out of place in the formal wear. She'd never had the money to afford more than the commoner's robes she would wear for all occasions. Mentally shaking herself out, Hitomi squared her shoulders. Unease or not, she would be fine. Clothes were just clothes! With a proud gait, Hitomi stepped into the dining room.

"Alert the media, she's finally learned how to dress herself," Wuya's dry tone spoke from where she sat at the longer side of table.

"Wuya, I'm surprised to see you. I thought you would still be cowardly hiding away somewhere," Hitomi fired back without hesitation. Ignoring Wuya's glares, Hitomi took a seat at the head of the table, opposite to Chase. Hitomi was subtlety glancing up at Chase while she filled her plate. He hadn't said anything about her change in wardrobe. He probably didn't care. That was good. Because she didn't care either. It was _just_ clothes!

Chase tried to keep his eyes on his food as he got lost in his thoughts. Before he could get in too deep, Chase pushed the thoughts away and went back to his meal. He had already come to terms with the fact that Hitomi _wasn't_ Mei. It made no sense to continue to compare the two or dwell in the past. He would leave the past where it belonged.

"So, what brought on this change?" Wuya questioned as she sipped her wine.

"Why do you care?" Hitomi fired back as she cut into her steak.

"I'm just curious. I've only ever seen you in those ratty, old robes that you're so fond of."

Chase shot Wuya a warning look that would have put a normal human six feet under in a second. The witch wasn't paying attention to him, however. Her dark eyes were focused on Hitomi- examining her. When did Chase give her such nice robes and _why_?

"If this is your way of asking to share clothes, I wouldn't bother," Hitomi responded while keeping her eyes on her food. "You seem to be quite fond of that dress. Either that or it's the only one you own. Besides, I don't think my clothes would fit you. You might be a bit too big for them," Hitomi finished while staring Wuya directly in the eye. Her stare was an even one, not hinting at her anger towards the witch.

Wuya bristled at the underhanded insult, her eyes narrowing. Her anger grew when she heard Chase's low chuckles. The Prince of Darkness was once again focusing on his plate, however. "I believe the word you are looking for is _developed_ , dear."

"Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, Wuya," Hitomi said as she drank some water.

When he spotted Wuya preparing to fire back, Chase had decided that he'd step in. "As much as your petty banter _amuses_ me, I would like to continue my meal in peace."

Wuya sat back in her seat, her eyes shooting from a smirking Hitomi to an unexpressive Chase. The suspicions were back. Those two were _awfully_ close. Maybe it would be best to keep a closer eye on them? Wuya smirked to herself as she sipped her wine.

~:~

Aside from the sounds of Clay's loud snores, the Xiaolin Temple was completely still and silent. From within his bedding Omi stared up at the ceiling with a frown on his face. Silently, he sat up in his bed before pulling off his covers. Over the years, he'd seen Raimundo do this several times. Omi adjusted his pillow between his sheets before rising and walking past his friends on his way out of their room. Omi noticed that Raimundo was cuddling with Ninja Fred while Kimiko slept peacefully with her earplugs in. If he could make it back to the temple before sunrise, they wouldn't notice that he was gone.

With silent footsteps, Omi leapt out of the temple and ran across the lawn towards the tall wall that surrounded the temple. With a silent grunt, he quickly leapt to the top of the wall. Omi spared a glance over his shoulder before he sighed deeply. "I am sorry, my friends. If _you_ will not do anything, then _I_ will," Omi said quietly before jumping down from the wall and taking off in a run.


	7. Chapter 6

Moi-Moi: You know… You could have read this chapter two weeks ago on my Wattpad account. It's under moi-moi819. The title of the story is the same there… Just saying.

Don't forget to review! :D

~:~

The next morning, Raimundo strolled into the dining room where his friends were already eating breakfast. "Morning, guys. Where's Omi?" he questioned while sitting and grabbing some bread from the plate that held several small loaves.

"I think he's still sleeping," Kimiko said while tapping away at her PDA.

"Omi? Sleeping? The cue ball never sleeps in," Raimundo commented with a furrow of his brows. He took a bite from an apple and pondered as he chewed.

"Yeah. That's more yer style, Rai," Clay commented. Raimundo shot the cowboy an unamused glare, but didn't respond.

"Well, he's not meditating. I would have seen him when I went to water the plants this morning," Kimiko reasoned.

"You don't reckon he's still thinkin' bout goin' after Chase Young?" Clay questioned.

"I mean, I know the little dude's upset, but he wouldn't just go off on his own," Raimundo tried to convince himself.

"Master Fung already said no. Omi wouldn't disobey Master Fung," Kimiko pointed out.

Raimundo folded his arms as he glared down at the table. Rebellious disobedience wasn't Omi's style...unless he felt that it was _absolutely_ necessary. The cue ball had a very strict sense of morality. But if the past was any indication, the lines dividing right and wrong had been a little blurred for Omi whenever it came to Chase Young. That combined with Omi's inability to deal with guilt and failure was a recipe for disaster. Tossing his half-eaten, apple core in the trash, Raimundo left the room.

"Rai?" Kimiko called after him, but Raimundo didn't respond. Kimiko and Clay exchanged a look before both rising and following their leader.

They found him outside the door to their bedrooms with a serious look on his face. When the three entered the room, they stopped at Omi's bed. The sheets hid a small, Omi-sized bulge beneath them. "See, Raimundo? He's asleep," Kimiko said and gestured to the bed.

With a narrowed gaze, Raimundo pulled at the sheets. Cursing lightly, Raimundo turned and quickly ran from the room. Kimiko and Clay were right on his tail, trailing him all the way to the meditation room.

Master Fung was currently in the middle of balancing himself on the tip of his index finger. His mind was completely focused and empty of all distractions. His muscles were lax and his chi balanced. He was about to switch to the other hand when the door to the meditation room suddenly slammed open.

Having four teenagers in the temple at once usually kept the place rather lively. The kids were very excitable to say the least. The once peaceful temple now usually housed the sounds of loud hip-hop music, arguing voices, breaking pots (the amount of pots that had broken must have been a world record by now), and sometimes explosions. Master Fung idly pondered what his students would be getting up to today...

"Master Fung! Omi's gone," Raimundo reported with a serious voice.

Pushing himself into a standing position, Master Fung stared at his three, remaining students with a surprised expression. He had not been expecting this turn of events. "Gone?" Master Fung repeated.

"He left his pillow in between his sheets. He must have snuck out last night," Kimiko explained.

"This is troubling," Master Fung said as he turned to leave the room. The worry had been on the back of his mind on what Omi would be willing to do, but he hadn't expected him to just leave. "I suppose I should have seen this coming."

"Omi's probably already at Chase's lair right now."

"We have to go get him. We can't just leave him there."

"I reckon Kimiko's right. We gotta help the lil guy."

"Now children-" Master Fung started.

"You _have_ to let us go, Master Fung. Omi isn't just a teammate. He's our friend," Raimundo stressed.

"He'd do the same for us," Kimiko argued.

"I was just going to say that you should take the Silver Manta Ray. Dojo hasn't been feeling well and may not be able to fly," Master Fung explained patiently.

"Oh..." Raimundo replied. "Well, let's go guys!"

~:~

Hitomi sighed as she flipped through one of Chase's ancient tomes. She was sprawled out on Chase's throne with several of the jungle cats surrounding her. Chase was busy meditating somewhere in the palace today, leaving Hitomi to her devices. She was studying the illustrations that depicted one of the original forms of Tai chi. Her left hand reached down to scratch the ear of one of the tigers at her feet.

Suddenly, some of the jungle cats raised their heads with low growls rumbling in their throats. Hitomi raised a brow a them in question before moving to sit up on the throne. Once the sound of a jet engine reached their ears, the cats all rose and snarled at the entryway to the throne room. Hitomi was surprised to see a silver, sting ray-like ship swoop into the room before landing. The silver ship opened at the top and Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay leapt out at once.

"Guys, what are you doing here?" Hitomi questioned as she put away her tome and rose up from the throne. She smiled brightly down at the monks in greeting. She hadn't expected to be this happy to see her friends. "Nice of you to _finally_ pay me a visit," she teased.

"We're not here for a visit, Hitomi. We're here for Omi," Raimundo said with a hard look.

Hitomi raised a brow. "Omi? Isn't he with you?" Hitomi questioned and tried to peer around them for the small monk.

"No. He left last night. We know he left to fight Chase Young for your freedom," Kimiko said.

"We don't want no trouble, Hitomi. We jus' want the lil pardner back," Clay said. The three slid into defensive stances as they stared up at Hitomi and the jungle cats. The many jungle cats all started roaring and snarling loudly down at the teens, sensing the challenge to their mistress. Chase had made it quite clear that no harm was to come to the girl.

"Guys, Omi's not here. I don't know where he is, but it's not here. I'm sorry," Hitomi explained as she walked through the jungle cats and approached the monks.

"If he's not here with you, then where is he?" Raimundo posed the question to everyone in the room as he rose up from his fighting stance. Hitomi shrugged once hopelessly. Raimundo shot Hitomi a look before raising a questioning brow at her. "You know. For someone being held against her will, you look pretty well taken care of..."

Hitomi's eyes widened as a light blush dusted her cheeks. She glanced down at the silk robe she was wearing. "Oh. _This_? It's not really my style. I already asked Chase for some clothes that weren't so flashy, but he takes his sweet time," Hitomi brushed him off with a wave and nervous laugh.

"That varmint hasn't been hurting you. Has he?" Clay questioned urgently. Hitomi was a bit surprised at Clay's tone. She had never seen the large boy act so direct before.

"No. I'm fine. But, thanks for asking. I guess?" Hitomi finished with a question. Questioning her well-being wouldn't have seemed like such a strange thing a few weeks ago. But now? The idea of Chase hurting her was... a little laughable. Other than getting a few hits in during sparring sessions, Chase wasn't really physical with her.

"Look. It's not too late to come with us," Raimundo got down to business.

He had said it in such a serious tone that it had caught Hitomi off guard. Leave with the monks? She hadn't even thought about leaving. She'd never once bothered to try to escape. Was there something wrong with her for nothing bothering to escape? What victim doesn't try to escape? "Um..." Hitomi started.

"That...is quite enough."

Feeling her fear and guilt spike, Hitomi turned to see Chase enter the room with two tigers growling lowly at his sides. To say that he looked angry was an understatement. Chase looked borderline _furious_. His anger seemed to be focused on the monks, however. Hitomi took a few steps backwards and away from the monks. A few lions stepped forward to block the Xiaolin warriors from making any moves towards her.

"Chase, where is Omi? What have you done to him?" Kimiko shouted accusingly at the immortal boy. Hitomi huffed. She had already told them that Omi wasn't here.

"Omi is not here. I do not know where he is. May I suggest that you keep better tabs on your _teammate_. Now, if you would be so kind as to _leave_ ," Chase growled the last word. He glared at the three monks so fiercely, promising bodily harm should they make even one wrong move.

Raimundo's eyes glanced at Hitomi. They had all felt terrible guilt over leaving her in Chase's hands, but she didn't look like she was suffering. It was a terrible thought though. How could anyone enjoy _Chase Young's_ presence? This had to be some kind of show.

Raimundo fully turned to Hitomi. The question was at the tip of his tongue, but when Chase had suddenly placed himself in between the two, Raimundo hesitated. With a low growl, Chase spoke, "I will not ask again."

The threat hung thick in the air between Chase and the monks. The three monks shifted their stances to a defensive one. Hitomi could see Chase's entire body tense. In order to avoid the brawl that was threatening to happen, she frantically gestured for the monks to leave. Their eyes landed on her before shifting back to Chase. " _Go. I'll be fine_ ," she mouthed to them. Taking one look at the irate Chase Young, Raimundo couldn't help but doubt that.

"You cannot win. I suggest you leave now while you still have the chance to do so in one piece," Chase growled at them. He was losing it. The control he had over the transition was slipping. He didn't want to lose control in front of Hitomi again, but his chances were dwindling by the second.

"Let's go guys," Raimundo said through clenched teeth. Kimiko and Clay shot him surprised looks.

"But, Rai-" Kimiko started.

"Omi's not here. We still have to look for him. I hate to admit it, but we don't stand a chance," Raimundo told her.

"You're making a wise decision," Chase said in a somewhat cocky tone as he watched the monks turn and head back towards the Silver Manta Ray. His posture relaxed and the fists he had at his sides unclenched.

" _Wait just a second, Chase Young_!"

Chase nearly gnashed his teeth. Out of nowhere, Omi fell from the ceiling and faced Chase confidently. The three monks all called out to their comrade happily before joining his side. "I am sorry for worrying you, my friends. I could no longer live with going against what I know to be right. As Xiaolin monks, we must fight evil wherever it may exist!" Omi declared and pointed dramatically at Chase.

Chase had had enough. In a second, he shifted. With a small gasp, Hitomi backed away from Chase's reptilian form. "You think you have what it takes to defeat me?"

"No!" Omi declared confidently.

Everyone paused at the confession. Hitomi raised a dubious brow. Chase stared at Omi incredulously. "Uh...Omi?" Clay questioned.

"I am certain that we are no match for you, Chase Young. So I brought someone who is," Omi explained.

Chase growled loudly. He was remiss to not have noticed their new guest sooner. Master Monk Guan fell from the ceiling with his Spear of Guan in hand and a hard look to his face. While Chase was not pleased with Guan's arrival, the monks looked absolutely ecstatic. "Chase Young! I have come to challenge you for the freedom of the young girl you keep locked away with you," Guan declared in his stern tone.

Chase roared so loud that the room shook. His tail slammed agitatedly against the marble floors, easily cracking and shattering it. His clawed hands clenched and unclenched as a low growl rose up from his throat. "You've come to take her? I _dare_ you," Chase's voice rumbled. His tail pushed Hitomi backwards and further away as he crouched lowly.

Hitomi watched Chase's back in shock. He couldn't be this serious about keeping her around. What value could she possibly have to him? She was just some girl. She was no match for him in battle nor did she possess any magical powers. There was no reason for all this fuss.

Guan widened the space between his legs as he sunk into a fighting stance. His eyes glanced from Chase to the girl standing behind him. _'That must be the girl Omi had-_ ' Guan's eyes widened just as his jaw fell open slightly. He stared at the girl. She looked just like-

"It can't be," Guan whispered.


	8. Chapter 7

Moi-Moi: Hey guys. Just a heads up. In this chapter, there will be a major flashback that will be in a third-person-omniscient point of view. While it would make sense to focus more on the parts that the character having the flashback was ACTUALLY there for, it would make for a better story to just keep it omniscient. Just pretend that the character is all knowing. :)

~:~

At Chase's loud roar, Guan narrowed his gaze. Guan took a second to fully observe Chase. Specifically, the way he held himself. Chase looked to be protecting the girl- defending her from him. If Guan had noticed the resemblance, surely Chase had as well. If that was the case, Chase wasn't about to let the girl go without a fight to the death. Guan straightened himself out before speaking, "I believe it is best that we leave, young monks."

"What?" Omi exclaimed in shock. The other teens watched Guan questioningly. What could he be thinking?

Omi's wide eyes shot from Chase Young, to monk Guan, and back. Master monk Guan was _quitting_!? Omi glared harshly at Chase Young. "No! If we work together, we can defeat him!" Omi objected and leapt into the air. "Wudai Neptune, Water!"

"No, Omi!" Guan shouted too late. A thick stream of water shot towards Chase Young with Omi zooming through the air behind it. Chase pushed Hitomi out of the line of fire with his tail before quickly dodging the blast of water. He swung his tail around to strike Omi across the midsection and send him flying.

"We have to help him out!" Raimundo shouted and led his teammates into the fray. Guan attempted to stop them, but they quickly dodged him.

"Shoku Astro Wind!"

"Wudai Mars Fire!"

"Wudai Crater Earth!"

Chase widened his stance to steady himself during the Dragon of Earth's earthquaking. At the two different elements being shot at him, he jumped up into the air before flipping over the fire and wind blasts. Landing on the ground seamlessly, Chase took off on all fours towards the monks. With Omi at the head, the monks ran towards Chase head on. Guan shifted his stance, ready to jump in and defend the monks, but he was stopped by a large, male lion leaping at his neck.

Hitomi watched Chase knock the four teens around easily with wide eyes. She had never seen him act so... _feral_. He looked and sounded like a true beast- dangerous and primal. He had always acted so composed, but she knew that all that composure barely hid the real Chase. When Guan was suddenly knocked back into the wall behind her by a panther pouncing on him, Hitomi was effectively snapped out of her daze. This had to stop.

Taking a hit to the chest, Clay was knocked off his feet and sent flying into Raimundo. Kimiko sent a kick at Chase's head, but he easily gripped her leg with his claws and threw her at the boys. Omi watched his bruised friends groan in a pile before turning a fierce glare onto Chase. With an impressive amount of ferocity, Omi called up his water powers. "Wudai Neptune Ice!" he shouted and formed several shuriken-shaped icicles. With lightning fast movements, he threw each one with deadly precision.

Chase dodged some of the skuriken while crushing others with a punch of his fists. In the middle of leaning to the side to avoid getting hit, he didn't notice Omi's attack until the last second. With a surprised expression, Chase was kicked away roughly. Taking advantage of the situation, Omi proceeded to hound Chase relentlessly.

Chase Young had been a prick in his bottom for some time. To be perfectly honest, Omi's ferocious attack style was due to more than just defending the Xiaolin way or rescuing Hitomi. While those were worthy causes, Omi's main motivation was a bit more personal. Chase Young had been a most bothersome enemy- corrupting Omi slowly before stealing him away from everything he had known and manipulating him like a _fool_.

Ducking and dodging Chase's clawed swing at his head, Omi jutted both hands out at Chase's torso with enough force to send the beast flying towards the wall. If one didn't know better, they could have sworn than Omi was the Dragon of the Wind after that last attack. "Shimo staff!" Omi shouted while pulling out his Wudai weapon and charging at Chase.

Chase blinked twice to clear his vision before spotting Omi closing in on him. The level of fury that twisted the young monk's face was impressive. Chase growled threateningly his teeth bared. When Omi leapt into the air with his staff overhead, Chase had been fully prepared to block the attack. However, he was surprised to see Hitomi quickly slide in front of him with her Wǔqì Chopsticks in the form of a katana. With smooth movements, she blocked Omi's attack with ease.

In that second, everyone froze. It was as if they had all sucked all of the air out of the room in one, collective gasp. With a narrowed gaze, Hitomi withdrew her weapon before quickly spinning on one foot and firing a powerful kick at Omi's torso. With a pained cry, Omi was sent flying backwards before landing roughly onto the floors. Raimundo, Clay, and Kimiko were at his sides in an instant. The four of them stared at Hitomi in slack-jawed surprise.

"That's more than enough. I believe that you have overstayed your welcome. Leave _now_ ," Hitomi spoke in a stern voice that left no room for arguments. Guan moved away from the crowd of jungle cats that had surrounded him before rejoining the young monks. Guan spared Hitomi a final look before nodding once to himself. As if to shield them, Guan wrapped his arms around the battered teens and ushered them out of the throne room.

Hitomi watched them leave before the sounds of shifting rubble caught her attention. Behind her, Chase had reverted back to his human form and was rising up from the ground. He dusted his armor off with a resigned expression on his face. "Are you alright?" Hitomi questioned.

Chase paused. He shot Hitomi a look out of the corner of his eyes. She was staring at him worriedly. She wasn't actually concerned for his well-being? Did she suddenly forget who he was? "I do not need your pity," he spat.

"It's not pity. It's sympathy," she corrected.

"I do not need _that_ either," he told her as he started walking away. Hitomi sighed as she watched him go before she folded her arms angrily. What a jerk... Slowly, a small smile slid onto her face. Somehow, she wasn't too surprised. Hitomi followed Chase down the corridor he had taken, pinning her hair back up as she walked.

~:~

"Hmm. What an interesting turn of events," Wuya commented as she watched the last of the jungle cats follow after Hitomi. She had been watching the fight from a safe distance. She would have joined in- always ready to defeat some do-gooders- but had paused when she'd taken a good look at Chase.

Wuya had been surprised to see Chase acting so...ferociously. He had truly gone after the monks with such ruthlessness that she had caught herself swooning several times. But what could have brought out such a change in him?

And then she saw the girl defend Chase. If she weren't so stunned, Wuya would have been proud of her for turning against her friends so easily. What would make a young girl like that throw herself in front of a boy with such reckless abandon?

Wuya chuckled darkly. "How _cute_. I think our little house guest has a crush. She picked the wrong guy to crush on," Wuya said with a dark laugh.

" _You've come to take her? I_ dare _you_."

The dark promise that had been in Chase's voice had been delicious. Wuya could feel her toes curling as she replayed his low, husky growls in her mind. But then she froze. Like a bucket of ice water had been dropped on her. Chase had fought so ferociously, like a wild animal fights over territory. Surely he didn't see the girl as _his_?

"That's nonsense. She's just a girl," Wuya dismissed. Was she? _'Come to think of it. Guan had been acting strangely as well...after he saw the girl._ ' Her suspicions were at an all-time high now. Chase was hiding something and Guan must know something about it. Everything kept coming back to Hitomi...

To be perfectly honest, Wuya didn't know much about Chase's or Guan's past other the times she had fought them 1500 years ago. She had spent most of that time trapped in a puzzle box. "But I know someone who might..." Wuya said with a sly grin.

~:~

When the Silver Manta Ray touched down onto the Xiaolin Temple courtyard, Master Fung was already waiting patiently for his students. He watched his students exit the ship with Master Monk Guan. Dojo coiled around his head while sniffling loudly. "Bey! They founb Omi!" Dojo exclaimed with a stuffy nose. He sniffed loudly through his red snout before rubbing his eye.

The four monks-in-training stopped before their teacher with their heads hung low. Master Fung took in their many bruises, cuts, and scrapes. Kimiko seemed to be favoring her left leg, the right one was covered in damp, red, tattered tights. Omi was clutching his mid-section tightly. Master Fung waited for them to explain.

However, it was Monk Guan who spoke up first. "I am sorry, children. I saw the danger that you were facing and failed to defend you from it. I should have gotten you away from Chase sooner," he said with his head hung.

"I know Chase Young's as powerful as he is evil, but he really handed out butts to us," Raimundo said while rubbing his strained neck.

"He was a lot more...aggressive this time," Kimiko said as she leaned a bit into Raimundo for support.

"Yes. I believe I know why," Guan said. At the questioning looks he was receiving, Guan explained, "I believe it has everything to do with the girl who is with him."

"I still don't get what a fella like Chase Young would want with Hitomi. It seems to me like he didn't even know who she was until a few weeks ago," Clay argued.

"I believe that this goes much farther back than a few weeks," Guan said.

 _It was a beautiful day today. Considering that only a short while ago all of humanity was being threatened by the Heylin with Wuya, it made the day even more favorable. It truly was a wonderful time to be alive. Peace was reigning and evil had been sent packing in the form of a puzzle box. The only trouble looming overhead was the increasingly slow progression of the the Xiaolin temple construction._

 _Guan spotted his best friend meditating in the courtyard and raised a brow. With a grin, Guan approached Chase slowly. "Your commitment to your training is nothing short of a marvel," Guan complimented._

 _"Thank you," Chase replied, barely keeping a grin from showing on his face. Guan nearly rolled his eyes. It didn't take much to inflate Chase's ego. "You shouldn't slack on your training just because there are no threats on the horizon. You can never be sure when evil will decide to rear its head."_

 _"Of course, Chase," Guan replied with a small chuckle._

 _"Gonna have to put a hold on those plans," Dashi said as he suddenly materialized out of nowhere. Both Chase and Guan tried to keep their surprise that Dashi had managed to sneak up on them from showing. "It's lunch time, gentlemen."_

 _"I'm not hungry," Chase replied before resuming his meditation._

 _"Well, what about you Guan? I can make us some stew or something," Dashi suggested._

 _"Sure, Dashi," Guan replied and tried not to grimace. Dashi may be a Grand Master and world savior, but the man was a terrible cook. Guan spotted Chase's shoulders shaking slightly in silent laughter behind Dashi's back. "Make sure to make extra for Chase. He'll be hungry when he finishes his meditation."_

 _"Good idea, Guan," Dashi said and started whistling as he made his way inside the only completed room of the temple._

 _"That was cruel, Guan. How can you call yourself my friend?" Chase asked his "so called" friend with a harsh glare._

 _"I was only looking out for your health, Chase. You have to eat," Guan explained with a small smile. Chase rolled his eyes at Guan before rising. He was about to say something else to the taller monk, but thought better of it. Instead, Chase turned on his heal and started walking towards the temple. He was going to find somewhere_ else _to meditate._

 _Suddenly, the sounds of a pot clattering and shattering could be heard just before Dashi shouted, "Wait!" from inside. Chase and Guan both raised curious brows at the sound. Just what was Dashi doing in the kitchen now? Before either of them could go inside to see what mess Dashi was making, someone suddenly ran out of the temple and right into Chase._

 _In a momentary lapse in focus (that he would later deny), Chase was bowled over by whoever it was that had just run out of the building. The two went down with a few thuds and light groans. Dashi appeared then with surprise written all over his face. Chase rubbed the back of his head that had slammed into the tiled floor before peering an eye open. The sun blurred his vision, preventing him from getting a good look at who had collided with him. Suddenly, the person crawled away from him with a feminine gasp. Sitting up slowly, Chase turned an accusing gaze at the clumsiest person he had ever-_

 _Wide, frightened brown eyes stared back at him before they jumped frantically around. A slim face- far too slim to be considered healthy- with pale skin and dirt marring its beauty. Long, dark brown hair was pulled up into a loose, dirty bun atop her head. She was wearing a tattered robe and no shoes. She couldn't have been older than fourteen. With a frightened squeak, she pulled herself up off the ground and faced the three males with wide eyes._

 _Chase got up slowly, his eyes still on the girl. "I...I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me. I shouldn't have stolen from you. I was just so hungry. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she rushed out in a frantic voice._

 _"Woah! Woah! Take it easy there, kid. No one's angry with you," Dashi placated._

 _"What's going on here?" Guan questioned._

 _"I found her stealing some bread when I went to gather ingredients for dinner," Dashi explained._

 _"I'm sorry! I'll do anything to make up for it!" she said and bowed lowly._

 _"It's not that big of a deal. It's just some bread," Dashi said with a shrug._

 _"No. I shouldn't have stolen from you. I have no excuse. I should repay you for my crimes against you," the girl said and finished with a sniffle._

 _Dashi's eyes widened slightly before he glanced at Guan and Chase pleadingly. Guan decided to step in and take over for his teacher. "It's alright. No one is expecting you to."_

 _"But, I must! I..I have no money, but I must repay you somehow," the girl said. Chase's eyes widened. Was she hinting at-? Chase's cheeks flushed._

 _"That won't be necessary. Tell you what. You're so hung up about repayment. Why don't you just work off your debt. You can clean the temple top to bottom," Dashi suggested._

 _Suddenly, the girl's head snapped up. "Yes! Thank you! I'll do a good job! I swear it!"_

 _Dashi chuckled once while shaking his head. "What's your name, kid?"_

 _"Mei. My name is Mei," she said._

"I've never heard of anyone name Mei who worked at the temple," Omi objected.

"I think Master Monk Guan is a better judge of who was in the temple fifteen hundred years ago," Raimundo pointed out dryly.

"What does some girl who stole bread from you have to do with Hitomi?" Kimono questioned.

"Mei remained at the temple with Dashi, Chase, and I. She worked in the temple performing menial tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry. Even after she had worked off the debt, she remained with us. It wasn't long before we all became great friends. Things were slightly _different_ for Chase, however," Guan replied.

 _Chase breathed deeply as he focused on clearing his mind, relaxing his muscles, and becoming one with his surroundings. He remained completely motionless for several seconds before he peeked an eye open. His amber eye watched Mei as she worked. She was hanging some sheets up to dry with a small smile on her face. With renewed vigor, Chase shut his eyes and returned to his meditation. It wasn't three minutes before his eye was peeking open again._

 _"How's the meditation coming, Chase?" Chase heard Dashi's voice suddenly question him. Chase jumped slightly, but quickly straightened his back and offered Dashi a noncommittal grunt. Dashi raised a brow at Chase with a smirk on his face before shaking his head slowly. The kid was falling and hard. But being the devout monk that Chase was, Dashi was sure that the young man would never make a move. How unfortunate. The pair did look sort of cute together. "I'll leave you to it then. May I suggest picking some place with less..._ distractions _next time you meditate," Dashi finished with a whisper before strolling away with a chuckle. Chase's face flamed._

 _"Chase?"_

 _If it were possible, Chase's cheeks reddened even further. "Yes, Mei?" he replied without opening his eyes._

 _"I'm going to make dinner. Is there anything special you wanted? It's your night to choose," Mei informed him with a smile that he could not see._

 _"It does not matter to me. I will eat whatever you prepare," Chase responded honestly._

 _"Alright," Mei said with a small giggle. Chase cleared his throat nervously in response as she shifted in his place. He nearly breathed a sigh of relief when she started walking back inside the temple. "If you want, I can return once I am finished so that you can spy on me while you pretend to meditate," she offered over her shoulder before giggling loudly. Chase groaned loudly in embarrassment._

" _Chase Young_ was in _love_!?" Kimono exclaimed in shock. Her teammates all had slack-jawed expressions of pure shock. It just wasn't connecting in their minds. Chase Young- _the_ Chase Young- was capable of loving someone (other than himself)?

"Yes, Kimiko. The feelings were very much mutual. Before either one could act on those feelings, however, Hannibal Bean interfered and turned Chase Young to the Heylin side," Guan informed them.

"And then that Mei girl dumped him. Right?" Raimundo guessed.

"Not quite. Once Chase turned his back on the Xiaolin way and left the temple, Mei left with him. It was a... voluntary action," Guan answered and hung his head. Everyone's eyes widened. Even Master Fung was surprised by this new knowledge.

"So... What happened next?" Clay questioned.

"Even I am not entirely sure. I had only heard of Mei's death in my travels. I had assumed that it had been Chase who had lost control and harmed her. But when I confronted him, I learned that he was not to blame. To this day, I am not sure who is responsible," Guan finished.

"Chase Young has many enemies both on the Xiaolin and Heylin sides. It is not hard to guess that some evildoer used Mei to get revenge on Chase. This is most troubling. This would mean that Hitomi is even _more_ danger than before!" Omi exclaimed.

"I don't know if you noticed, Omi. But she's not exactly begging for our help," Raimundo said in a low drawl and a fold of his arms.

"I reckon that's true. She defended Chase, attacked Omi, and then kicked us out into the cold," Clay informed Master Fung.

"It is obvious that Chase will not separate himself from Hitomi and she appears to want to remain at his side. It would not be wise to challenge Chase Young again, despite having good intentions," Guan said, mostly to Omi. Omi glared down at the tiled ground silently.

~:~

Wuya walked through a forest, her eyes darting to her left and right warily. To be perfectly honest, she'd been trekking through this forest for several hours now in the hopes that Hannibal Bean would appear. The bean had always made an appearance whenever she was away from Chase and needed to see him. It was as if he kept tabs on her and was always ready to drop in. Wuya wouldn't be surprised if Hannibal had his Ying-Ying bird doing some reconnaissance right now...

"Wuya, Wuya, Wuya... What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

Wuya smirked up at a tree branch where Hannibal was perched next to Ying-Ying. The bird's round, black eyes gazed down at her shrewdly. "Hannibal, I need a little help," Wuya started.

"Let me guess. You've had enough of Chase and want a little helping hand in emancipating yourself from him," Hannibal guessed with a wide, crooked grin.

"Not quite," Wuya answered. Hannibal raised a brow at that. Even Ying-Ying seemed intrigued. "I need to know more about what happened to Chase while I was locked away."

"And why, might I ask, would you need to know that?"

"Chase has taken in some girl. The way he treats her is... _peculiar_. At least, it is for Chase. If I didn't know any better, I would say that he has feelings for the girl," Wuya explained.

" _Chase Young_? With a _woman_? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're lying," Hannibal said in his Southern drawl.

"But, you _do_ know better. Don't you Hannibal?" Wuya questioned with a sly grin. She had been right to come to Hannibal. It had been a long shot, but it had been so worth it.

"What you need to understand is that it was a long time ago. Chase was still on the Xiaolin side. He was young. And you know how them young boys operate. They just can't resist a pretty face," Hannibal said, his stringy arms shaking in a dark laugh.


	9. Chapter 8

"Chase Young in love with someone other than himself?" Wuya balked. She quickly composed herself before shooting Hannibal a dubious look. "I find that hard to believe."

"You better believe it. I first met Mei Long by accident," Bean explained. "Let's just say that Chase was rather _protective_ of the girl."

"Doesn't that sound familiar..." Wuya trailed off as she rubbed her hand to her chin. "After all these years, Chase still isn't over her?"

"I imagine that he's got a few old wounds that never quite healed," Hannibal said while feigning sympathy.

Wuya narrowed her gaze. "What do you know, Hannibal?"

"Who? Lil ole _me_?" Hannibal questioned with a dark chuckle. "You see, after Chase turned against me and locked me in the Ying-Yang World, I was feelin' mighty betrayed. I was _wounded_. I treated him like my own son and gave him the power he sought. And how did he repay me? He locked me away because he was afraid of _my_ strength. What Chase didn't realize is that you can't keep Hannibal Roy Bean down..."

Wuya folded her arms over her chest as a slow grin snaked onto her face. It had been so long since she had been able to trade such juicy, evil gossip. Chase never had time for her anymore. He was always with Hitomi. She had been feeling a bit neglected. "Do go on, Hannibal."

"While I was trapped in the Young-Yang World, I had Ying-Ying run a little errand for me. I just had her pay Mei Long a friendly visit when Chase wasn't around. I have to admit. It just _broke my heart_ to see Chase so broken up after he found her body.

"It was a shame the girl had to die. She was easy on the eyes. But Chase doomed her by letting himself get so close to her," Hannibal finished. "I had hoped that Chase would blame Monk Guan and turn against him, but even that was a bit of a stretch."

"Why would Guan want to kill Mei? Did he hate her or something?"

"Quite the opposite. Just like Chase, Guan fell hard for the girl. Having the two of them view each other as romantic _and_ martial arts rivals made turning Chase over to the Heylin side _that_ much easier," Hannibal finished with a shrug. "It was a long shot, but I had hoped that the idea of Mei's rejection would be enough to convince Chase that Guan had been pushed over the edge."

"That sounds like more than a long shot to me..." Wuya drawled with a raised brow.

"Whatever. You got your intel. And you're saying that Chase has found a new girl? She has to be pretty special," Hannibal said and stroked his chin.

"She's alright to look at, pretty decent at martial arts..." Wuya shrugged.

Hannibal gestured for Ying-Ying to flash a hologram of Mei Long from her eyes. Wuya stared at the image of the girl before her. Her eyes widened. "That's her! How did you know what she looks like?"

"This is Mei."

"They look almost exactly alike. Could Hitomi be a reincarnation?" Wuya surmised. Wuya smirked. This explained why Chase was so attached to the girl. He was replacing his dead lover with Hitomi. Even for the Prince of Darkness, that was pretty cruel. Wuya idly wondered how Hitomi would react if she found out the truth...

"I know that look. What are you planning?" Hannibal grinned.

"Let's say we were to nab Hitomi during the next Heylin Eclipse while Chase is weak. He would be at our mercy. In the end, we don't even need to keep the girl around. You know what they say, Hannibal. The past always repeats itself," Wuya said with a laugh. She never _did_ care for Hitomi. The girl was snitch who would make the perfect stepping stone for Wuya's climb to greatness. Once this was all over, Wuya would be all powerful again and be on her way at having the world at her feet. What were a few broken eggs along the way?

"I love the way you think, Wuya. Only one problem. The Heylin Eclipse isn't due for another ninety-eight years," Hannibal finished with a drawl.

"I already thought of that. The Treasure of the Blind Swordsman is our ticket."

Hannibal turned the plan over in his head. Chase _did_ deserve to be knocked down a few pegs. Hannibal didn't care to kill another girl, but Wuya looked ready to kill. _'I'll leave her to it then_.' "So how do we get the treasure from the monks?" Hannibal questioned. Wuya smirked devilishly.

~:~

Hitomi lounged in her room later that day with only her thoughts for company. What had possessed her to defend _Chase Young_? Despite asking herself this question, Hitomi had a good idea as to what her motivations were. _'I am falling for Chase Young_!' Hitomi screamed mentally.

How _could_ she!? Chase Young is a dastardly monster and the enemy! He is evil! He wants to rule the world and cover it in darkness and destruction. What about that is attractive!?

Hitomi rolled over onto her side and faced her closet doors. She was trying to remind herself as to why Chase Young _wasn't_ boyfriend material, but it wasn't working. No matter how many times she thought of his evil deeds and less than admirable traits, a picture of Chase's smug face would enter her mind and she would mentally swoon.

 _'Okay. Forget that you like him. How do you he even likes you?_ '

He probably didn't. Chase may be nicer to her than he was to others, but that didn't translate to affection. Besides, Chase didn't seem like the type to want a relationship. The guy could never love someone else more than he does himself. Hitomi rolled her eyes. She was heading down a bad path. But was it too late to turn back? Not really... Right?

 _'Maybe it wouldn't be so wrong to like him..._ '

Who said _that_!? Hitomi froze up on her bed. Okay. Okay... Maybe this wouldn't be so bad... Just as long as Chase _never_ found out. She wouldn't be able to take his harsh rejection.

~:~

Chase held himself extremely still in the lotus position, nearly every muscle in his body was tense. He nearly growled as his eyebrow twitched agitatedly. Meditation _wasn't_ helping.

Hitomi was falling for him.

She was as transparent as a window to him. He could see it all over her face. The way she defended him, looked at him, or spoke to him held all the signs. She was terrible at hiding her feelings. He wasn't sure if she had realized it yet.

He shouldn't have let her get so close. This had been exactly what he had been trying to avoid. He didn't _want_ attachments. He didn't _need_ anyone. He never should have let her stay in his lair. At the very least, he should have turned her into one of his jungle cats while he had the chance.

He would just have to show her who he truly was. Surely, she would want nothing to do with him after seeing him for the beast that he was.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Don't forget to leave a comment or two! :D


	10. Chapter 9

He was ignoring her. Hitomi kept telling herself that it was for the best. She couldn't afford to fall any harder for Chase. The distance would be good for her sanity. But why was he ignoring her in the first place!? Hitomi pursed her lips as she frowned at the empty throne room. Not even Chase's jungle cats could be found. She had checked almost every corner of the palace and she hadn't seen hide nor tail of Chase.

Was he avoiding her because he realized how she feels about him? Chase was very observant and extremely astute. It wasn't so much of a stretch to say that he had an idea of her feelings. Was he avoiding her as his way of not having to deal with her crush? Hitomi frowned as her shoulders slumped slightly.

Was she really surprised? Not really. This was Chase Young. It would have been stupid to hope that he would suddenly profess his love for her. _'Woah. Love_?' Hitomi thought. Did she want LOVE? Maybe not... But a little affection wasn't too much to ask for. Was it? Surely Chase was capable of _that_ much.

"I'll just have to find out for myself," Hitomi said and quickly set off with renewed energy. She wasn't about to give up on Chase without even trying. He was her first real crush! She couldn't just let him get away just yet.

~:~

Chase stared down at the painting of Mei in his hands. He had been staring at the painting all night last night and this morning, seeking some sort of epiphany as to what he should do. For so long, he had held onto his memories of her, never allowing himself to move on.

Chase was usually very in tune with his body, mind, and soul. But now, his thoughts and feelings were so jumbled and tangled that he had no idea how to proceed with his life. Knowing Mei, she would feel dismayed that he had been torturing himself with this for so long. Despite how they felt for each other, he was sure that she would want him to be happy in life even if that meant moving on and sharing his life with another.

But he could never do that.

He was immortal. He would never be able to share his life with anyone unlike himself. And the last thing he wanted was to bestow his curse upon anyone. For one thing, the world couldn't handle a shift in the balance between good and evil right now. If there were to be a new evil, there would have to be a new addition to the side of good to counteract the upset. Secondly, there was only one person he would consider sharing his life with, but he would _never_ give her the Lao Mang Lone soup.

Did he really want to? Did he really wish to spend his life with Hitomi? Chase narrowed his gaze at Mei's smiling face. She was his first, real love. She had been nearly perfect- kind, caring, loyal... But, Hitomi was proving to be all that and more. It appeared that the reincarnation was better in every way. He would never forget Mei, but he'd kill to keep Hitomi at his side. It may be old guilt from failing to protect Mei from her assailant. But Chase could tell that what he felt ran deeper. Would he die for her? Could he lay down his life for Hitomi?

Chase growled lowly at Mei's picture. "I wish I could say that my memories of you would fade on their own, but it will be another thousand years before that happens," Chase spoke to the picture before crushing it in his fist and burning the paper. "I'm sorry, Mei. I think it's time to officially bury the past."

~:~

In the dead of night, Wuya and Hannibal moved to put their plan into action. " _This_ is the best that the Xiaolin monks have to offer?" Wuya whispered with a smirk. Hannibal chuckled lowly as they watched Dojo wriggle across the tiles of the courtyard in his robe with a steaming mug in his claws. Dojo yawned loudly before slithering inside the temple and shutting the door behind him.

"Are you ready, partner?" Hannibal questioned.

"Of course. Get the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman and the Genggai Gecko. I'll keep you covered," Wuya said as she laid flat against the rooftop of a temple building. With the darkness of the night to camouflage him, Hannibal jumped down from the roof before hopping towards the Shen Gong Wu vault. Wuya smirked down at the silent temple. She had yet to regain the full range of her magic. But after tonight, Chase would give them back to her if he knew what was best for him.

Suddenly, a loud alarm blared just before Hannibal returned on the back of his Ying-Ying bird. He clutched the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman and the Genggai Gecko above his head. "Good! Let's go!" Wuya hissed and grabbed the Genggai Gecko.

" _Halt! You won't get away with your theft... Wuya and Hannibal Bean_?"

Wuya rolled her eyes. Dressed in their pajamas, the Xiaolin monks glared up at her and Hannibal. Wuya smirked. "Sorry, kids. We've got business to tend to. Genggai Gecko!" Wuya exclaimed and activated the Wu.

"She's using the Golden Tiger Claws!"

"Stop her!"

With a dark laugh, Wuya leapt through the portal with Hannibal following quickly after her. With loud exclamations of frustration, the four monks faced each other angrily. Seconds later, Master Fung and Monk Guan arrived in the courtyard. "Master Fung! Wuya and Hannibal Bean have stolen the Genggai Gecko and the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman!" Omi exclaimed.

"This is most troubling," Master Fung frowned deeply.

"No kidding. Whenever those two team up, it means bad news for everyone- good or evil," Raimundo replied.

"What could they be planning?" Kimiko asked.

"Something _most_ evil. For all we know, they could be working with Chase Young in some plot to take over the world!" Omi theorized.

"We got to do somethin'," Clay spoke up.

"Might I suggest that you exercise caution, young monks? Separately, Wuya and Hannibal Bean pose a serious threat. But together, they are deadly," Master Fung spoke in a grave tone.

"What would you suggest that we do, Master Fung?" Raimundo asked.

Monk Guan and Master Fung exchanged a look. Sending the monks after the duo would be a suicide mission. "Let us not make any rash decisions. Whatever their plans, I am sure that we will hear from Wuya and Hannibal Bean very soon," Monk Guan promised.


	11. Chapter 10

Wuya and Hannibal landed atop a rocky cliff in a barren and mountainous region. "This should be a good place for my new palace once I get my powers back," Wuya mused.

"All in good time, Wuya. We have bigger fish to fry," Hannibal reminded her. "Treasure of the Blind Swordsman!"

In a puff of smoke, the black treasure chest opened up and allowed a pale genie to rise up from it. With a patient expression, the swordsman waited for Hannibal to make his request. "Would you be so kind to bring about a Heylin Eclipse for us?"

With a nod of his head, the Blind Swordsman swung his sword a few times before pointing it up at the sky. From where he pointed, the sky slowly began to bleed red and the sun was quickly overshadowed and darkened. For the evildoers, it was a beautiful sight. Wuya laughed darkly before once again using the Genggai Gecko. "Genggai Gecko!" Wuya exclaimed and transformed the Gecko into the Golden Tiger Claws. With twin looks of cruelty, Wuya and Hannibal leapt through the portal and arrived in Chase's throne room. They spotted Chase hunched over on the floors with Hitomi supporting him and his jungle cats all passed out around them.

"Well, isn't this _sweet_? I think I'm going to puke," Wuya snarled before leaping into action.

~:~

Hitomi was getting seriously concerned. How was Chase able to hide so well!? She knew that this was his lair, but there were only so many places he could hide from her. Hitomi huffed. "Whatever," Hitomi declared and did an about-face. She would just return to her room then. Chase _obviously_ didn't want her around. Maybe she would sneak out later just to spite him. It would TOTALLY be his fault for leaving her alone. So wrapped in her grumbling, Hitomi had almost missed Chase sitting on his throne as she passed by his throne room.

With a surprised expression, she watched him sit regally upon his throne and scratch behind the ears of a leopard. Hitomi blinked owlishly at him as she approached. "Have you...always been here?" she asked him as she pointed to his throne.

"No. I was meditating before I came in. Why do you ask?" Chase responded with a brow raised.

"No...reason. I just passed through here not too long ago and I didn't see you," Hitomi explained.

"When you were looking for me?" Chase went on with a sly look.

"Ah- _ha_! So you _knew_ that I was looking for you. Why are you avoiding me?" Hitomi questioned with her hands on her hips.

"Because did not wish to see you," Chase replied.

Hitomi recoiled quickly. She hadn't expected him to be so _blunt_. At Chase's level gaze, Hitomi straightened up. She wouldn't gain any respect from him if she didn't fight for it now. "Chase, I don't know what I did to you to make you want to avoid me like the plague-"

"I do not worry myself with petty infections," Chase interjected.

Hitomi shot him an unamused look as she cocked her hip and folded her arms. "Will you just tell me what crawled up your butt and died? Why didn't you want to see me? Was it something I did?" Hitomi questioned as she stepped closer.

Chase tensed as his eyes narrowed at her. The warning was clear- _stay FAR away_. She came in closer. Chase was about to warn her to keep her distance when he felt it. His strength was being sucked right out of him. One by one, his jungle cats fell to the ground unconsciously. Chase's eyes widened. Rising quickly, he reached out for Hitomi. "Run. _Now_!" He growled at her.

Hitomi had been startled by Chase's sudden shift in demeanor and the jungle cats' lack of consciousness. She had almost backed away, but when Chase suddenly fell forward, she quickly ran to his side. "Chase! What's wrong?"

"Get out of here. Now! I will not tell you again," Chase warned as his eyes shifted around worriedly. He could feel the effects of the Heylin Eclipse setting in. It was _early_. Someone was obviously working against him.

Suddenly, a sharp, jagged portal ripped into his throne room. Chase tensed as Wuya and Hannibal stepped out. "Well, isn't this _sweet_?" Wuya questioned with sneer. "I think I'm going to puke."

Chase had seen the shift in her stance from miles away. With wide eyes, he roughly shoved Hitomi away from him before rising to block Wuya's attack. "Don't you think the sun looks so pretty in that shade of black, Chase?" Wuya laughed before bringing her knee up to strike Chase in the gut.

Chase growled lowly as he dodged the attack before swinging Wuya away from himself. Quickly, his eyes shot to where Hitomi was picking herself up from the floor. "Run! Now!" Chase ordered her.

With only a few seconds of hesitation, Hitomi got up before dashing towards the exit. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to go back and help Chase. She couldn't just _leave_ him! She wouldn't make it too far, however.

"Moby Morpher!"

She had only been a foot away from the doorway when she felt something round and squishy collide with her back and send her sprawling into the ground. All the air had been knocked out of her chest with immense force. Whatever it was weighed a ton and was crushing her chest. Hitomi gasped as she tried to push herself up. She could hear a deep voice laugh loudly from above her. "She's got some fight in her. I like this one, Chase. She's a keeper," the voice drawled.

"Hannibal!" Chase growled the name like a threat. Before he could help Hitomi, he sensed Wuya flying at him from behind. Twisting quickly, he grabbed the witch by her arm and leg before sending her flying into Hannibal. The two fell in a tangled pile a way's away from Hitomi. Moving quickly, Chase was at her side before helping her stand. "Get out of here. Go to the monks if you have to, but don't make yourself such an easy target," Chase ordered her before pushing her behind and away from him.

"There's nowhere that she can hide now," Wuya chuckled. "She's dead meat without her faithful protector."

"I have to say, Chase. Fifteen hundred years is a long time to pine over a girl. I wonder how long it will take you to get over this one after we do away with her the same way I did to Mei," Hannibal chuckled with a crooked grin.

Chase's blood ran cold just as his heart momentarily stopped beating. Suddenly, his jaw clenched and his shoulders tensed. He shot Hitomi a warning look over his shoulder that he was sure looked more threatening than anything else. With a surprised expression, she backed away from him. His eyes glanced over to a gargoyle poised nearby before facing Wuya and Hannibal again.

"Give it up, Chase. If you cooperate, we'll spare you and the girl," Hannibal bargained in his smooth tone.

"I'll make you _pay_ for what you did," Chase promised before leaping at Hannibal.

Hitomi moved quickly. Dashing over to the gargoyle, she tried examining it for a weapon or anything. When the head moved downwards like a lever and revealed a pit fall in the floor, Hitomi let out a gasp. He couldn't really want her to run and leave him behind!

"And where do you think you're going?"

Hitomi heard the words just before she was slammed roughly into the wall. "I have to say, it's nothing personal," Wuya said with a cruel grin.

"I've never done anything to you. What's your deal!?" Hitomi shouted at Wuya while trying to push her away, but Wuya's grip was firm. Hitomi could see Chase being tossed around behind Wuya's back. Her struggles increased ten-fold.

"Like I said, It's nothing personal. If you want someone to blame, blame Chase," Wuya shrugged and brandished a black-bladed dagger.

Hitomi gasped just before using both her legs to kick Wuya in her stomach. Wuya stumbled backwards with a pained grunt while clutching her stomach. Without letting Wuya catch her breath, Hitomi sent a strong kick towards Wuya's head that sent her sprawling into the floors. While she was still dazed, Hitomi grabbed the Genggai Gecko and ran back over to the gargoyle.

Chase was in the middle of having his back bent in an unnatural position as Hannibal tried to fold his body in half when he heard Wuya's shout. " _The little floozy stole the Genggai Gecko! She got away!"_

"You let her get _away_!?" Hannibal barked back.

This momentary distraction was all Chase needed to slip away out of Hannibal's grasp. The damage had already been done, however. Chase nearly cursed. He couldn't feel his legs. From where he laid on the floors, he could see Wuya's tanned feet next to Hannibal's round, red bottom. With a growl, he hung his head.

"Relax, Chase. We ain't gonna kill you," Hannibal said.

"At least not yet," Wuya interjected with a smirk.

"We just need you to do us a favor first. And then you're free to go. My partner would like her powers back," Hannibal said.

" _Tick tock_ , Chase. I don't have all day. I've got a world to take over," Wuya taunted.

"You think you both can rule? Oh, _please_. You're fighting together now, but you'll turn against each other when the moment's right. And trust that I'll be there to destroy you both when that happens," Chase promised and offered Wuya his hand. The eclipse wouldn't last forever. He just needed to wait it out. Then, he would find Hitomi. Once she was safe, Hannibal and Wuya would have hell to pay.

Wuya gripped Chase's hand eagerly. The second her flesh touched his glove, she felt the rush of her powers come over her. Her eyes nearly rolled back. _Finally,_ she was whole again. Once the transfer was complete, Wuya sighed happily. "Thanks, Chase. You're a real help," Wuya said with a smirk. Moving too quickly to be seen, Wuya sunk her dagger into Chase's neck with a low chuckle. It was the only place she could see that wasn't being covered by his armor. He was lucky she didn't put his eye out.

"He's a real team player," Hannibal said with a laugh before the two left together.

"Now, let's go find us a floozy," Wuya said with a malicious grin as she sashayed away from Chase's fallen body.


	12. Chapter 11

Guan stared up at the blackened sun with a suspicious gaze. Another Heylin Eclipse wasn't scheduled for 98 years. They only came around once every century. This had to be the work of Wuya and Hannibal. They must have used the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman and are targeting Chase for whatever reason. If they were after Chase, then Hitomi would be in the line of fire.

"Master Monk Guan?"

Turning around, Guan spotted Omi staring up at him with a hard gaze. "Yes, Omi?"

"That is a Heylin Eclipse, but it is most strange that we are seeing one now..."

"You are right, Omi. I fear that Wuya and Hannibal may be targeting Chase. If I am right, not only is he in danger, but so is Hitomi," Guan said. Omi was quite the observant monk. Guan had no doubt that Omi would make an excellent Xiaolin Master one day.

"What are we going to do?"

"I am going to visit Chase Young's lair. I must advise you and your friends to remain out of this battle, Omi. I know that you all are capable warriors, but this is not your fight. That time will come another day and when it does come, you must be ready. As for today, leave this to me," Guan said before leaving with the Spear of Guan clutched in his fist.

Omi stared at Guan's back until the older man disappeared from his sight. With a heavy sigh, Omi went to tell his teammates with the news. _This_ time, he would heed the words of a Master. Suddenly, Omi squared his shoulders. The fight against evil was becoming more and more strenuous by the day. He and his friends would need to be ready.

~:~

Guan had always felt slightly guilty that he had not been able to stop Chase from turning evil. Guan had failed him as a friend. A rift had grown between them that Guan had spent many years denying that it could ever be fixed. He had simply turned his back on Chase and put their past behind him. Over the past fifteen hundred years, Guan had proven that he was weak and a poor friend. While he would never stand back and allow Chase to destroy the world, he couldn't leave his old friend to suffer through this alone. He would help Chase, but _just_ this once.

Guan found Chase's lair to be mostly deserted. Not a single jungle cat was there to greet him upon his arrival. With a suspicious gaze, Guan picked up his pace. Maybe the battle was still going on? Upon entering the throne room, Guan's eyes widened. " _No_ ," he whispered before running over to Chase's fallen body. Kneeling in the puddle of dark blood that was staining the floor, Guan rolled Chase over before leaning over to place an ear over Chase's heart. "Damn," Guan growled before unclasping Chase's armor and proceeding to perform chest compressions. He counted as he worked, his brows knitted in concentration.

Chase could feel the repeated blows to his chest as he slowly awoke. He had tried to focus on slowing his heart and breathing rate in order to slow the flow of blood from his wounds until they healed. Judging by the sounds of the person, he could tell that it was Guan. Just as Chase's head was tilted back and he felt someone lean in towards him, Chase growled, " _Don't you_ _dare_."

Guan sprang up in shock before gazing down at Chase. His former best friend had blood along the side of his face and was glaring harshly up at him. "I am relieved to see that you're still alive," Guan said.

Chase scoffed. "Do not patronize me, Guan. Why are you here?"

"I figured that Wuya and Hannibal were targeting you when I saw the eclipse," Guan explained. "Are you alright to move?"

"You expect me to believe that you came to my aid out of the goodness of your heart? We both know the truth, Guan. It was your guilt that brought you here. Your guilt over the past fifteen hundred years and your guilt over Mei," Chase said as he stared up at the high ceilings. The Eclipse was waning now. Soon, his powers and strength would return. He just had to hold out long enough for the accelerated healing to set in.

"I...failed to do right by you, Chase. You were my friend. I allowed you to stray from the path of good," Guan said.

Chase would have laughed if he could. "I drank the Lao Mang Lone soup because I sought strength and power. It was not your decision. You insult me by thinking that you could have somehow stopped me from achieving my destiny."

"You cannot deny that I was not a good friend to you in your last days as a Xiaolin warrior. I allowed my feelings for Mei to cloud my judgement and in the end, I lost a friend. I will not turn my back on you this time, but this will be the only time," Guan promised with a hard expression.

"I suppose you wish to clear your conscience and you feel this is your best chance to do it," Chase scoffed. "Make no mistake, Guan. I have already put our past behind me. I would not hesitate to betray you, should the need arise. I would easily sacrifice your life for my own."

"Or Hitomi's?" Guan asked with a smirk. Chase didn't reply. "I know this. Allow me to help you."

Chase shot Guan a searching look. Guan allowed Chase to fully observe him. If he didn't pass Chase's test of character now, Chase would never trust him. Neither men moved for several minutes, before Chase looked away. "Hitomi escaped through one of my escape hatches. The switch is in the gargoyle head. She has the Genggai Gecko, but Wuya and Hannibal are after her."

"I will find her. I'll look out for her," Guan promised and stood.

"Guan," Chase called out. Guan looked back at Chase in question. "If anything happens to her, I will spend the rest of your life destroying everything you hold dear and making your existence absolute _hell_."

Guan smirked. "I almost feel sorry for Wuya and Hannibal. They're probably in the most danger out of all of us," Guan joked before quickly leaving.

~:~

Chase didn't tell her that his escape route led right into the palace _septic tank_! Hitomi grumbled as she trudged through the forest at the base of the mountain. Her entire body was covered in a slimy, dark green substance that smelled worse than rotting garbage. She nearly went back up to the throne room just to give the Prince of Darkness a piece of her mind.

Hitomi stared down at the dirtied Genggai Gecko in her hands. She had the power of every Shen Gong Wu in the palm of her hand. She could go anywhere. But what else could she do? She wasn't very knowledgeable about all the different Wu. She didn't know about any others besides the Golden Tiger Claws. Chase would know what to do...

"Come on, girl. You got along fine for years without, Chase. You can do this. You don't need him to protect you," Hitomi said to herself. "Just think this through..."

"I'm afraid your time's up..."

Hitomi nearly groaned aloud. Turning quickly, Hitomi spotted Wuya and Hannibal glaring at her. " _Whoo_! Haven't you ever heard of personal hygiene?" Hannibal questioned as he squeezed the place where his nose would have been if he had one. Hitomi rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Hand over the Wu," Wuya commanded before summing ten of her rock creatures with a smirk. "If you know what's good for you..."

"Um... That's new," Hitomi commented.

"You like? I'm back on top thanks to Chase. And I can't _wait_ to try out my powers again," Wuya said with a dark grin.

"I still don't understand why you want to hurt me. I never did anything to you," Hitomi stalled. _'Now would be a great time to come up with a plan!_ '

"It's nothing against you personally, girl. You can't help it. You're Mei's reincarnation," Hannibal said with a shrug.

"Who the heck is Mei?"

"You mean you don't know? I'll take pleasure in bursting your bubble," Wuya said with a low chuckle. "You went and fell for the wrong guy, hun. Chase couldn't care less about you. He only kept you around because you remind him of his first love, Mei."

"But that's neither here nor there. We hunted you down for a reason. We have unfinished business," Hannibal said with a grin.

Hitomi frowned deeply. She was the reincarnation of Chase's first love? That stung. She could literally feel her heart starting to crack. Hitomi quickly shook herself out. She couldn't let it distract her. She wouldn't believe anything these two said until she heard the truth from Chase, himself. Hitomi had been ready to defend herself when she saw Hannibal and Wuya rushing at her. She sunk into her fighting stance with her gaze narrowed. She could take them. She could hand Chase his fair share of butt whoop even when he was having a good day. An overgrown bean and an old witch would be nothing. She never got a chance to fight though. Out of nowhere, the tall, bald monk who had broken into the palace with the Xiaolin warriors fell from the sky before kicking both Wuya and Hannibal away. Hitomo stared at him in surprise before shooting him distrustful looks. "I will hold them off as best as I can. You must leave here," the monk said over his shoulder before quickly firing to punches at Wuya and knocking he back. " _Go_!"

Startled into action, Hitomi called on the powers of the Genggai Gecko. "Genggai Gecko!" she cried out just as it transformed into the Golden Tiger Claws. With a quick swipe of the claws, Hitomi jumped through the portal.

" _No_!" Wuya cried out in dismay.

Her landing through the portal was less than graceful, but that was the least of her concerns. Her wide eyes looked around Chase's throne room frantically before landing on a motionless body. "Chase!" Hitomi cried out before running over to him. She slid in the puddle of his blood before pulling his upper body onto her lap. "Please be okay... Please be okay..." she softly begged.

Chase opened his eyes to stare up at Hitomi. Once his eyes met hers, tears of relief sprang up in her eyes just before she pulled him in for a tight hug. Chase released a strained cough, but that didn't stop her from hugging the life out of him. "You smell putrid. I would appreciate it if you let go of me now."

"Too bad. I was worried about you," Hitomi said into his shoulder.

"Did you honestly think that I could be defeated by those two idiots?" Chase scoffed.

Hitomi giggled. "You're always so _proud_. Can't you just let me have my moment without ruining it?"

Chase sighed. At least she was safe. Guan hadn't failed. As far as he could see, there wasn't a single scratch on her. She was fin-

"Chase, who's Mei?"

~:~

Guan sighed to himself as he limped onto the temple grounds looking worse for wear. His robes were ripped and he had lost the beads that were strung around his neck. There were cracks in the base of his Spear of Guan, and copious amounts of bruises along his entire body. He was bleeding slightly from his temple and lower lip. He felt like a soldier who had just come home from war.

It didn't take long for the four monks-in-training to run out to meet him. They all stared up at him with wide, sympathetic eyes. He smiled at them in return before pulling his hand out from behind his back. He presented the Moby Morpher, Treasure of the Blind Swordsman and the Genggai Gecko to the monks.

"Way to go, Guan-o man!"

"You're a real tough fighter, partner."

"You _must_ tell me how you were able to single-handedly triumph over the forces of evil!"

"Me too! I've just _got_ to get this story for my blog."

Guan smiled down at the children. He didn't have the heart to burst their bubble. He may have won this time, but he was sure that this was just the beginning. They had won the battle, but the war was far from over.

~:~

They had had one chance and they had _blown_ it. They had everything going for them, but then Master Monk Guan of all people had interfered. What did he care what happened to Chase or Hitomi?

"That was a _failure_ ," Wuya grumbled. Her only consolation for this terrible day was her restored powers. Not even her ripped clothes, ruined hair, bruised and possibly cracked ribs, could ruin that. Now that she had her powers back, she had rebuilt her stony lair for her to reside in and she was going to bring the world to its knees.

"You're telling me. And this is just the beginning," Hannibal grumbled as he hopped over to Ying-Ying and proceeded to snuggle up in her down feathers. There was nothing like warm, down feathers to sooth an aching body.

"What do you mean?"

"We should have killed Chase when we had the chance. He survived for sure and now he's going to want revenge. One thing's for certain, Chase doesn't know how to let things go," Hannibal grumbled.


	13. Chapter 12

Moi-Moi: Congratulations! You've completed the first act to this story! :D

Now, we will be continuing with the second act. From here on out, the story will be rated M. The second act will be answering some questions as well as tying up some loose (romantic) ends.

I am extremely excited about the second act. It's where the fun will REALLY begin. The first act was more of an introduction to the real story that's about to begin. I hope you guys are ready for the roller coaster ride that's about to happen... **evilly rubs hands together**

~:~

Hitomi sighed as she lounged on the wall of the largest fountain in the palace. This was not how she pictured her life going. She had always thought that if or when Chase ever showed her any affection or care, she would be the happiest girl alive. Honestly, she just felt ticked off.

He was smothering her! Demanding that she always have at least six jungle cats with her at all times and his Crow or that she basically follow him around all day. Hitomi was at her wit's end. She understood that he was just worried for her after what happened months ago. But it's not like she was a defenseless damsel in distress. She could fight well and protect herself. He should know. He had taught her...

"Hitomi."

She sighed and sat up from the fountain. Chase was approaching her with a frown. "Oh, _darn_. A furball just tried to choke me, but you _just_ missed it. It's a shame you weren't there to keep an eye on me. I might have suddenly exploded if you left me alone for too long," Hitomi scoffed and laid back down.

Chase bristled. "You're _hilarious_."

"And you're overprotective and smothering. At least we know that neither of us is about to change at any time soon," Hitomi huffed.

"You feel smothered?" Chase asked before scoffing. "You're too young to understand."

Hitomi sprang up from her spot before approaching Chase dangerously. He narrowed his gaze at her in warning, but Hitomi was already in his face with a glare of her own. "What's so complicated about it? You're worried that something else will happen to me, so you feel that you must keep an eye on my like I'm some sort of prisoner!"

"Have you forgotten that you _are_ my captive? This is your prison," Chase snarled.

"So, you always fall in love with your "captives"? Or am I just special?" Hitomi mocked with air quotes. She could tell that she was bordering on dangerous territory. Chase had already come clean about his history with Mei. He'd made it abundantly clear that he was moving on. She didn't need to throw it back in his face, but she couldn't help what she said when she was frustrated. Despite Chase's warning growls, she didn't back down. "I may just be the only person who's not completely turned off from or terrified by your presence. I think I deserve some type of award for going this long with such a narcissistic and paranoid jerk who only has time for me when he _feels_ like it!"

"That's because I can't go too long in _your_ presence without sustaining hypertension and chronic migraines! You're not perfect, _despite_ your belief of that. You're a disrespectful, loud smart-mouth and you're lucky I haven't fed you to the jungle cats by now," Chase growled.

"As if you could! You'd be lost without me and you know it," Hitomi declared before walking away from him.

"I've gone fifteen hundred years without you! What makes you so special," Chase finished with a hiss. He was boiling mad. He couldn't _believe_ her. Hitomi knew just what buttons to press to get him really fired up. He'd have to leave and go somewhere isolated and vent later. Probably the Land of Neither Here Nor There...

"Why can't you just admit it? We _both_ know you care about me! You're just being too pigheaded to admit it," Hitomi said before practically stomping away from him.

With low growls that we're slowly building in volume, Chase grit his teeth as literal steam rose off his head. Why did she have to be so frustrating? With a whip of his long hair behind him, Chase stomped away in the opposite direction. He needed to cool down before he did something they would both regret.

~:~

Dinner for Hitomi took place in her quiet bedroom. She wasn't up for sitting at the table with Chase after the harsh things she had said to him. She pushed her rice around the plate with a frown. They had been fighting so much lately. But why? They'd been able to go for months in each other's presence before. But now that Wuya and Hannibal had threatened their lives, she and Chase were always at each other's throats.

It wasn't fair to Chase. He was only trying to help in his own awkward way. He probably didn't know how to show that he cared other than to smother her in overprotectiveness. It was a little sweet just how concerned he was for her. But that didn't mean that she needed it! A little protection would be okay, but Chase was going overboard. Hitomi could protect herself just fine.

When she heard the knock on her door, Hitomi froze. It was two, firm knocks. She stared at the door for several seconds before calling out, "Come in."

Chase pushed the door open and strode into the room totally composed. Hitomi watched his dignified pose and nearly rolled her eyes. She decided not to speak the first words that came to mind. Chase had called her disrespectful. She could at least _try_ to-

"Despite your ungratefulness, I have decided that you are still worth protecting," Chase started.

"I'm _so_ glad you still find me worth protecting. I had been so worried that you would kick me out. Or _worse_ , that you would let me defend myself. It's not like I've been training my whole life and then training with you for weeks," Hitomi said and glared down at her plate.

"Is _that_ what this is all about? Don't be foolish. Of _course_ I know that you can protect yourself. I am going through the extra effort so that you don't have to. Have you ever considered that some of my enemies have lived for thousands of years? I highly doubt that they're going to keel over at any time soon. If you were to fight them, it would surely be a fight to the death- _your_ death," Chase explained through narrowed eyes.

Hitomi pursed her lips, but didn't look up at Chase. He did have a point. "So, what you're saying is... You _do_ care?" Hitomi asked and shot Chase a sly look. Chase rolled his eyes at her while releasing a breath of exasperation. "Admit it, Chase. You _like_ me. I promise, you'll feel so much better once you face the truth," Hitomi said with a grin.

Chase glared down at her. "I think I liked you better when you were shouting at me," he said before leaving. Hitomi shook her head slowly. Chase was _so_ in denial.

~:~

He wasn't in denial. He knew full and well what he felt for Hitomi, but she didn't need to know that. Not yet, anyways.

Chase had other things to worry about- specifically Hannibal Bean and Wuya. He had been keeping an eye on them with his Crow, going so far as to completely ignore the Xiaolin monks. Up until this point, Wuya and Hannibal only looked to be avoiding him while still trying to collect Shen Gone Wu. They probably thought that they would be able to use them the next time they faced him. Chase scoffed.


	14. Chapter 13

Moi-Moi: I love to listen to music when I write. It really helps to set the tone for the scenes. I don't usually offer suggestions for songs. But I think "Mondo Bongo" by Joe Strummer &a the Mescaleros is a good song for this chapter. I'm open to suggestions from you guys though! :D

As a heads up, this chapter is pretty heavy on the limey and lemony goodness. Like, most of it is mature content. If you're uncomfortable reading that stuff, you can just skip this chapter. If you don't mind the lighter stuff, you can read on until you get to the warning. I like to give you guys a heads up when there's mature content ahead.

Anyways, enjoy!

~:~

Hitomi grinned to herself as she strutted assuredly through the hallways of Chase's lair. The most _brilliant_ of ideas had come to her last night. Obviously, she and Chase needed some way to relieve the stress that had been plaguing them lately. If they didn't, they would only continue to go at each other's throats. They were warriors who had been bested in battle and threatened. Their Warrior's Pride had been damaged! Something had to be done to smooth their fighting spirits. But before she could pose her idea to Chase, she had to find him. Knowing him, he was probably meditating in his throne room. He'd been meditating more than usual lately.

When Hitomi stepped into the throne room, she heard the sounds of low growls, loud roars, and grunting. With a curious expression, she took in the sights before her. She didn't have much time to do so, however. Hitomi's eyes widened just before she quickly ducked to avoid being hit by a cheetah that had been sent flying towards her. The cheetah growled lowly in pain from where it collided with the wall. Hitomi raised a brow in confusion.

Chase was definitely in his throne room, but he wasn't meditating. He was sparring with at least twenty of his jungle cats at once, a fierce look of determination on his face. Hitomi watched him move, noticing the tense and forceful way he struck at his opponents. Hitomi winced when she saw a male lion crash into the wall and instantly slip into unconsciousness.

"Chase?" Hitomi called out to him.

Quickly, Chase ceased in his movements to spare Hitomi a look over his shoulder. "What is it?" he questioned, still sunk low in a fighting stance.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to spar with me. It's been awhile since you trained me," Hitomi said as she watched the jungle cats limp away while Chase was distracted. She frowned at them with pity. What was up with Chase now? He normally didn't go so harsh on the jungle cats. When he normally fought with them, it was to keep his tiger instincts and skills sharp, not as a show of strength.

Chase slowly stood up to face Hitomi with a raised brow. She was standing before him, dressed to spar while looking around at the injured jungle cats. To be honest, Chase wasn't in the right mood to fight Hitomi. He was feeling a bit tense and the last thing he wanted was to take it out on her. But he would be fighting his jungle cats all night if he was going to calm his nerves. If only there were two of him... Then he would have a worthy opponent for his strength.

"Just give me a chance. I'm sure I can put up more of a fight than the jungle cats," Hitomi said with a smirk and sunk into her fighting stance.

Chase narrowed his gaze at her one second before sprinting into an attack in the next. He didn't usually make rash decisions, but Chase was 90% sure that Hitomi would be able to defend herself. Hitomi let out a small squeak before quickly blocking the fist that had been aimed at her head. Before she could blink, Chase had already fired a kick at her mid-section. Was this a bad idea? The way Chase was going at her screamed ruthless abandon. Hitomi was sure that Chase wouldn't purposely hurt her, but maybe he was a bit more invested in winning this match than she was...

"Monkey Strike!" Chase shouted before leaping at her again.

Holding a sturdy stance, Hitomi stuck out her palm and responded, "Repulse the Monkey!"

When Chase fell backwards and rolled away slightly, he did so with a grin and low chuckle. Brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face as he stood, Chase smirked at Hitomi. "You learned well," he complimented.

"Thanks. You're a great teacher," Hitomi responded.

"I haven't taught you everything that I know though," Chase said with a grinned before he suddenly disappeared. Hitomi blinked in confusion. Where did he-

" _Woah!"_ Hitomi exclaimed as Chase grabbed her by the front of her robes and tossed her at a wall. Twisting mid-air, Hitomi was able to land on her feet before jumping off the wall and finally landing in a crouch on the floor. Okay. Maybe Chase was a _lot_ more invested in this than she was.

"Have you had enough?" Chase questioned. He wasn't taunting her. He was genuinely concerned for her well-being.

Despite being touched that he cared, Hitomi glared. "You're not giving up already are you?" Hitomi taunted before running at him while brandishing her Wǔqì Chopsticks.

Chase leaned back to dodge the attempted slashes of Hitomi's dagger at his face before leaping backwards to put some space between them. He had only a few seconds to prepare before a crystal arrow was sailing towards him. Before it could strike, Chase smashed the arrow with a fist. Ten more were flying towards him. With a smirk, Chase easily crushed each arrow as they approached. As the final arrow turned into a pile of broken crystal, Chase spotted Hitomi closing in on him with a crystal sword drawn above her head. Using his forearm to block her attack, Chase grit his teeth at her.

There was no doubt. He was one hundred times stronger than Hitomi. The force she was placing behind her weapon was nothing compared to the force he held in his pinky. But what she lacked in strength, she made up for in skill and craftiness. "I think you're about to lose this fight, Chase," she said with a wide grin. Chase could see the beads of sweat rolling down her face as her arms strained to hold her sword against his arm. He smirked. "You don't believe me. I'll prove it to you," Hitomi said before bringing her knee up to strike his stomach.

Chase rolled his eyes. Using his free hand, he grabbed her knee. "You'll have to do better than that, Hitomi."

"I know," Hitomi said before quickly pulling away her sword and wrapping her arms around Chase's neck. As soon as he released her knee, she had both her legs wrapped tightly around his chest. Hitomi could feel Chase gripping her sides in his attempts to push her away, his fingers digging into her a bit painfully as she squeezed her arm around his neck. She could hear and feel Chase growling into her stomach, but she didn't relinquish her hold on him. Instead, she flashed her sword-turned-dagger for him to see.

Chase growled again before quickly launching the pair of them at the nearest wall. Hitomi, who took the brunt of the attack, released a small groan of pain. Her hold on him didn't ease up, however. She was persistent. He would give her that. Gripping her arms tightly, Chase tried to pry her off him as he threw them down onto the floors. It wasn't enough force to break his bones, but he was sure that Hitomi's back would be sore by tonight. ' _Finally!'_ It had been starting to get hard to breathe, but Chase had finally gotten her to release her hold on his neck. As soon as he tried to pull away from her, however, Hitomi's fist painfully collided with his nose. Chase nearly cursed as she once again had the upper hand.

Hitomi laughed as she pushed Chase down into the floors and quickly straddled him. He was about to make a swipe at her head, but stopped once he felt the blade near his neck. With immeasurable irritation in his eyes, Chase glared up at Hitomi's smirking face. "I win," Hitomi announced proudly.

"I hardly see the honor in your victory," Chase replied.

"You're only saying that because I got the upper hand on you and kept it. It's okay to accept defeat," Hitomi said as she struggled to catch her breath. It didn't matter that she could feel some bruises forming on her sides and back or that her lungs were on fire. She had won! With a bright grin, Hitomi stared down at Chase before pulling away the blade and returning the weapon to its harmless, chopsticks form.

Hitomi had been about to rub her victory in Chase's face some more when a strange smell caught her attention. Subtly sniffing, Hitomi furrowed her brows. What _was_ that? It wasn't a bad smell. It was just different. Honestly, she'd never smelled anything like it. Different, but _nice._

"Feel free to get _off_ at any time," Chase said dryly from where he was still being held down. Chase rolled his amber eyes and nearly sighed. He was about to push Hitomi off him, but froze when she placed her face directly on the crook of his neck. Did she just _sniff_ him? "What's the _matter_ with you?" Chase asked with slight shock in his tone.

"You smell good," was the only warning he got just before Hitomi was placing her lips over his. Chase's eyes widened comically as he felt Hitomi's lips move against his. Not wasting another second, he quickly tossed the girl off him and stood up. " _Ow,"_ Hitomi moaned as she landed on her back. Normally, Chase would have helped her onto her feet. This time, his only concern was to get as far away from Hitomi as possible.

Hitomi blinked a bit to clear away the spots in her vision before looking up at Chase. She spotted his back as he tensely made his way out of the room. "Chase? Wait!" Hitomi called out after him and pulled herself onto her feet. She tried to chase after him, but once she made it into the hallway she _knew_ he had taken, Chase had disappeared. Hitomi groaned as she hung her head.

What was _wrong_ with her!? Did she really just _kiss_ Chase Young!? Obviously. But why!? He probably thought she was weirdly coming on to him. It would make sense. She'd sniffed his sweaty neck and kissed him without his permission. "Oh _no,_ " Hitomi said with a small gasp. Taking off as fast as she could, Hitomi headed for Chase's bedroom. Surely, he'd be there.

~:~

Chase stood under the stream of warm water in his shower with his eyes shut and his muscles tense. Honestly, he couldn't be mad with Hitomi. It wasn't her fault. Chase had sold his soul and a large portion of his humanity when he had first taken the Lao Mang Long soup. He was more beast than human now. He continued to drink the soup to maintain control of his draconic, beastly side. But that didn't stop the animal's physical traits from shining through. Whether he wanted to or not, Chase was currently releasing his own Heylin brand of pheromones as a part of his week-long mating cycle. It was a subtle smell that you had to be close enough to detect. It had never been a problem before. But he'd never lived with a girl before. It didn't matter after this point. Chase would be better prepared to keep Hitomi at a distance.

Turning off the flow of water, Chase exited his shower and wrapped a black towel around himself. He dried his skin a bit meticulously before patting his hair dry with the towel and slipping on a black robe. With his towel wrapped around his head, Chase exited the bathroom. He froze at the sight before him. With a wide-eyed and slightly comical expression, Chase watched Hitomi happily giggle as she rolled around on his bed. His left eye twitched.

Mid-giggle, Hitomi stared behind her when she heard the sound of a door opening. She blinked twice at Chase. "Hi, Chase. Your bed is so _soft_ and it smells good too!" Hitomi said happily before continuing to roll over the sheets. Chase sighed deeply while pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Wait! I remembered something! I came to apologize."

Chase used his Heylin powers to telekinetically open the doors to his bedroom. "Please leave," he told her and pointed to the door.

"Let me apologize first," Hitomi said as she got off his ruffled sheets and approached him. Hitomi stopped when Chase placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. He was pushing her towards the door, but she _had_ to say this! "I'm sorry, Chase! What I did wasn't cool. I took your first kiss and I shouldn't have done that. I would promise not to do it again, but I really can't. But I am sorry! I _swear_!"

Chase nearly pulled out his hair. "Go back to your room, Hitomi. I don't care about the kiss," Chase lied. He wasn't able to tell her the truth though...

"Wasn't it your first one? That's pretty important. Unless it wasn't your first? Chase, have you kissed other girls?" Hitomi questioned as she started to fight against his force on her back. She was trying to get a good look at him, but he kept turning her around. "Dammit, Chase! Are you going around and kissing other girls!? You won't even _hug_ me!"

Chase felt a blush slowly rise up his cheeks. How was she so strong!? Maybe it was just the stubbornness. Chase attempted to pick her up so he could carry her out of his room, but it caused Hitomi to giggle loudly.

"Chase, you're such a gentleman! Are you going to carry me back to my room? Don't expect me to kiss you again though. You can't just kiss me whenever you want. I mean, I like you and all, but I have morals," Hitomi said with no verbal filter as Chase carried her bridal style out of his room. Once outside his door, he dropped her unceremoniously on the floor. " _Oof._ What are you doing? This isn't my room."

"No. It isn't. Now, stay _out_ of mine," Chase warned lowly and shut the doors on her.

Hitomi pouted before slowly rising up from the floors and dusting off her robes. "Some _gentleman!_ You _really_ know how to treat a girl, Chase! _Not!_ I've had better treatment from a houseplant!" Hitomi shouted through his door. In response, she heard Chase lock his doors with a resounding _click._ "So _rude!_ I'm definitely not kissing you again," Hitomi grumbled before making her way towards her own room in a huff.

Who did he think he was kicking her out like that!? She just wanted to talk to him. Maybe if Chase relaxed more, he wouldn't be such a grump. Maybe he should roll around on his sheets more. _That_ was relaxing. With a light hum, Hitomi skipped back to her room, ignoring the pain in her back.

~:~

She probably needed to meditate more.

Hitomi held her head in her hands as she stared down at her lap. What was _wrong_ with her? She'd tried her hardest not to come on too strong and keep her feelings hidden as best as she could. And what did it get her? She would go all goofy whenever she was within spitting distance of Chase! "There's something wrong with me, mother," Hitomi groaned. "In the past few days, I've come on to Chase at least six times and he's caught me wrapped up in his sheets twice. He doesn't know it, but I stole one of his dirty robes. I don't even know why I took it! All I do is _sniff_ it like a weirdo."

Hitomi sat with her back rested against the wall of her favorite fountain. Her mother rested her furry head on her lap with a low, soothing growl. Hitomi pat her mother's head twice with a sigh. "I can't even get close to him to apologize without losing it. There has to be _something_ wrong with me. Maybe it's these teenage hormones?" Hitomi suggested. At her mother's low growl and shake of her head, Hitomi frowned. "It's not me?" Hitomi asked. Another shake of the head. "Mother, you didn't see me last night. I nearly broke into Chase's room. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had gone through with it," Hitomi whispered with a rising blush. With a pathetic groan, Hitomi buried her face between her knees.

When she felt her mother smack her head softly with a large paw, Hitomi lifted up her head. Naomi's big brown eyes watched her before she shook her head. "Are you _sure_ it's not me?" Hitomi asked. A final, resolute nod. "Then why didn't Chase say something?" Hitomi frowned and stood. "He's had me thinking that I'm going crazy! Is he using some kind of Heylin magic on me? He better not be!" Hitomi exclaimed and stomped away. At her mother's loud growls, Hitomi didn't turn back. She was a woman on a mission.

Chase could feel Hitomi approaching him. He nearly got up and fled to the other side of the palace. The last thing he needed was Hitomi to latch onto him and run her fingers through his hair again. It had felt nice, but he had a reputation and composure to keep. He was almost out of the room when he felt something flying towards his head. Moving to the side to dodge, Chase watched the slipper fly past his head. He narrowed his gaze before shooting a look over his shoulder.

"Don't you even _think_ about running away from me, Chase!" Hitomi called out. She made sure to keep a few feet of space between them. She couldn't afford to go goofy now. She needed answers that only Chase could provide. "What are you doing to me? You better not be using any of your Heylin powers on me."

Chase turned to face Hitomi with an unreadable expression. "What makes you think that I am?"

"Don't think I haven't noticed how weird you've been smelling lately. I don't know what you're doing, but knock it off. I'm not your guinea pig for you to test your new powers on," Hitomi warned with a stern glare.

Chase watched Naomi slink into the room with a shake of her head. Chase raised a brow at her, but she gave the lion's equivalent to a roll of her eyes with exasperation and all. "I haven't been using Heylin magic on you. I never have," Chase answered honestly. "Do you really think that I would have any use for powers like _those_?"

Hitomi deflated slightly. When she thought about it, it really didn't make much sense. The power of seduction didn't seem like something Chase would want. He was such a cold fish.

" _Excuse_ me?" Chase questioned with a low growl.

Hitomi covered her mouth with her hands as her eyes widened in shock. Had she just said that out loud!? "I mean... Um... So, if it's not one of your powers, then what is it?" Hitomi asked softly.

"It doesn't concern you."

"Is there something wrong with you? Did you drink some bad soup?" Hitomi asked. She walked in feeling so upset with him, but her anger was quickly dissipating. What if there was something wrong with Chase? Her mind flashed back to how drained and weak he was during the Heylin Eclipse. Hitomi reached out to him as she took a step forward. "Do you need help?"

Chase took two steps back. "I do not need your help. I am perfectly _fine._ If you'll excuse me, I have something that needs attending to," Chase said as he turned to leave. Before he could leave the room, Chase felt her hand on his shoulder. He tensed and waited for the oncoming glomp onto his person.

"Don't turn me away, Chase. Don't you think that you should trust me to help you by now?" Hitomi said. She held her breath as she waited for him to respond.

"You can't help me. There's nothing to help."

"Not just with this, Chase. But with everything. I want to be your friend. I care about you and I want to help you," Hitomi said honestly. She was probably going to regret this, but Hitomi slipped her arms around Chase's chest as she held him from behind. She rested her cheek on his back between his shoulder blades. Her lungs were on fire. She would need to breathe soon. She couldn't help but hope that Chase would respond quickly.

Chase didn't respond for a few seconds. Eventually, he sighed. If he didn't say the right thing now... Chase wasn't sure what would happen to them in the future. But he knew that he wouldn't be able to be "just friends" with Hitomi. He could ignore all romantic urges easily. He was disciplined enough for that. But Hitomi was just a sixteen-year-old girl. She wouldn't be able to disregard them so easily. He had said that he was moving on. It was time to prove it. "I... appreciate that...and you. I care for you as well."

Hitomi nearly squealed. He had said it! As her unbridled joy rushed through her, she hugged him tightly and accidentally took a breath. Oh, boy. "I'm glad to hear that. You just made me really happy, Chase." That was alright to say? It wasn't too much to make Chase uncomfortable, but it got her point across. _Whew._

"Sometimes, it's like pulling teeth with you. I don't know if it's _extremely_ repressed emotions or just awkward inexperience. I'm not picking on you for it. I've never liked a boy before you so I'm new to all this too," Hitomi giggled. She could hear the alarms blaring in the back of her mind, warning her to flee before she said or did something embarrassing.

"That's...good to know," Chase said awkwardly as he patted her arms. Pulling himself from her grasp, Chase quickly left the room. Naomi shook her head with a small smile before leaving the room. Those two were quite the pair.

Hitomi intently watched him go. Chase sure wore a lot of armor. ' _I wonder how he looks under it all...'_ Hitomi thought. Her cheeks instantly flamed, but she couldn't bring herself to feel any embarrassment at her thoughts. "Hmm..." she mused with a smirk.

~:~

Chase was in the middle of a light sleep when he sensed the intrusion. His muscles tensed just seconds before he gripped the dagger he kept hidden under his pillow and awaited his attacker. He patiently feigned sleep as he listened to the sound of feet softly moving towards his bed. The person stopped at the edge of his bed. He could sense them reaching out towards him, but he gripped them by the wrist before they could touch him. His left arm subdued the person as he brandished his weapon with a threatening growl.

"Chase!" he heard Hitomi's voice cry out in surprise.

Immediately freezing in place, Chase allowed himself to relax before releasing Hitomi and placing the weapon down onto his nightstand. He sighed deeply. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"I... I had a nightmare," Hitomi responded in a soft voice.

Chase could feel her shaking slightly from where she sat next to him in the dark. He couldn't see her face, but he was sure that she was giving him a terrified expression. If she was terrified from him or the nightmare, he couldn't be sure. "So you came here?" Chase questioned dryly.

"Hannibal Bean and Wuya were in it."

Chase straightened up. "They wouldn't be so foolish as to attempt another attack so soon. You're fine. Go back to bed."

"I tried that already. It didn't work. This is the second time tonight that I'm waking up. They...they killed you and me, Chase."

Chase nearly sighed. "Is this the first time this has happened?"

"No... I wasn't sleeping too well, but I was fine when I had your robe. But now it doesn't smell like you anymore," Hitomi answered. Chase frowned deeply in the dark. What did she just say? She had his robe? He was about to comment when she spoke up again. "Can I stay here tonight? I promise I'll behave. I can't sleep in my bed anymore."

Chase was about to send her back to her room. He'd leave his entire army of jungle cats to watch over her if it made her feel better. But sleeping in his bed was out of the question. Then he felt her chilled and clammy hand grip his. "Chase, I wouldn't come here unless I had no other choice. I've tried sleeping with some jungle cats around. It doesn't help. _Please?"_

Absolutely not. Two words couldn't be harder for him to say. Chase sighed. She wanted to help him however she could. Whether she knew it or not, she had been helping him by remaining at his side. It was only a few hours until sunrise. Her health would suffer if she didn't get enough sleep. How had he not seen this happening to her? "Fine. But, only for tonight."

Chase could hear the relief in her voice as Hitomi replied, "Thanks, Chase."

Slipping back under the covers, Chase kept remarkably still as he listened to the sounds of Hitomi slipping under his sheets. It was a good thing he had changed the sheets. He wouldn't be able to stand her flirtatious behavior in this setting. He could take only so much provocation. Chase stared evenly up at his ceiling with his hands folded neatly over his chest. He would carry her back to her room once she had fallen asleep. Surely, she wouldn't be able to tell the difference while unconscious.

Chase was determined not to fall asleep until Hitomi did. He didn't have to wait long. He could hear her breathing even out after a few minutes. Chase never thought he would see the day when his presence was used to ward off nightmares instead of cause them. He nearly rolled his eyes. His reputation as the malevolent Prince of Darkness may be nonexistent in her eyes, but Chase wasn't too troubled by this. He didn't care for Hitomi to fear him anyways.

After waiting a few more minutes, Chase decided that it was time to move her. Maybe Hitomi was getting better at subconsciously using her tiger instincts, but Chase doubted it. As soon as he shifted, he felt Hitomi's hand grip the sleeve of his robe. He glared down at the offending hand and attempted to remove it. Doing so only made things worse, however. Chase wasn't sure how it happened, but in the middle of removing her hand from his sleeve, her other arm had wrapped around his chest. With flushing cheeks, Chase attempted to remove her other arm from his person. Chase nearly balked when he heard Hitomi's threatening growl as her legs wrapped around one of his. "Hitomi," he called out to her. He received another growl as she wrapped her arms resolutely around him. Chase could feel his irritation building. Once he had stopped fighting her, Hitomi relaxed with a sigh and continued to sleep peacefully. Was she doing this on purpose? Chase couldn't be too sure. His cycle had ended yesterday and he knew that her actions weren't being influenced by him. Maybe Hitomi was just a _cuddler?_ Chase grimaced slightly before sighing. ' _It's only for the night,'_ Chase reassured himself.

~:~

It wasn't just for the night. The next night, Chase had been pulling down his covers for bed when he had sensed someone enter his room. Looking up, Chase spotted Hitomi wearing a tee shirt and pajama pants and giving him a hopeful look. He had turned her away. His kindness lasted one night only. But then her brown eyes had watered slightly as she hung her head. His eyes had twitched as he felt the strings on his heart being violently yanked. He had cursed silently in another language before relenting. Instantly, Hitomi perked up before rushing over to his bed and climbing under the sheets. Chase took up his place on his side of the bed and warned, "Stay on _your_ side tonight."

"Okay, Chase. Thanks for letting me sleep here. Last night was the best sleep I'd had in a long time," Hitomi replied with a bright smile. Chase sighed and turned out the lights.

It had taken about twenty-three minutes for Hitomi to find her way over to him in the dark. Chase growled as he felt her wrap her arm around his chest and her leg fell over his hips. He grit his teeth while Hitomi sighed and started to snore softly. Chase rolled his eyes before attempting to relax. It would make no sense to try to remove her. She had whimpered and nearly strangled him in her sleep last night when he had tried to remove her around four in the morning. As long as she didn't try anything to provocative, Chase didn't try to move her.

The two continued like this for several more nights. Sometimes, Hitomi would be standing at his door and waiting for his permission to join him. Sometimes, she would sneak in when she thought that he was sleeping. After the third night, Chase found it easier to sleep in her presence. It was an amazing show of trust that he allowed himself to be unconscious and unguarded in her presence. From then on, they slept in a similar position every night- Hitomi wrapped around him while Chase laid on his back and kept to himself.

One night, Chase could feel his arm being suffocated under her side and attempted to move it. _Of course_ , this made Hitomi latch onto him tightly. Once his arm was free, Chase was able to sleep peacefully. When he had woken up in the morning, however, he was embarrassed to find the arm that he had left resting on the bed was now wrapped loosely around Hitomi's side. He had released her immediately as if she had burned him. Chase had never brought up the actions of his traitorous arm to her and Hitomi was none the wiser.

~:~

After rinsing his mouth out, Chase left his bathroom completely ready for bed. He saw Hitomi pulling down the covers before she climbed into bed. As he pulled down the covers on his side, Chase asked, "Do you still have nightmares?"

"Nope. Not a single one. But it's weird. I can't sleep in my own bed anymore. It just feels weird to sleep alone now," Hitomi answered with a shrug.

Chase knew what she meant. The rare times she had decided to sleep in her own bed had left him feeling a bit cold. He had gotten used to the added warmth that her embrace had provided. He had even gotten used to her clutching onto him during the night. "You've slept alone before," Chase responded.

"So did you. But you still let me stay," Hitomi pointed out smartly.

"Just go to bed," Chase grumbled with a roll of his eyes as he shut off the light and climbed into bed. Surprisingly, as soon as he laid down, Hitomi wrapped her arm around his stomach and laid her head on his chest. He tensed up immediately while staring down at her in surprise. He was about to tell her off, but then he felt just how tense _she_ was. He knew what it felt like when she was holding him while relaxed and unconscious. He could feel how rigid she was next to him and if he paid close attention, he could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Taking a deep breath, Chase slung his right arm over his eyes and didn't comment.

As he tried to fall asleep, he felt Hitomi slowly relax. Chase marveled at how different he was in here as compared to how the rest of the world saw him- openly cuddling with Hitomi without any complaints. He had even removed the dagger from under his pillow. He hadn't wanted a repeat of the first night she had come to him. He had been on the edge of sleep when he had felt Hitomi's hand run along his side. He didn't think anything of the action at first, until she had done it again. Her hand moved deliberately inward towards his stomach. Her fingers ran along the lines between his abs slowly, tracing the lines down before moving back up all through his shirt. Each time her fingers made a complete circle around one set of muscles, they would move lower to the next set. His heart pounded so fiercely in his chest, Chase was sure that she could hear it. When her fingers made it to the edge of his pants, he froze. She didn't bother to continue her torture, however. Chase wasn't sure whether he felt relieved or disappointed at this. Her hand slid up his frame to rest next to her head on his chest.

Hitomi bit her lip as she tried to calm her heart's frantic pounding. She couldn't believe that Chase had let her do that! She thought that he would have stopped her for sure. She had expected him to kick her out. But the only reaction that she had gotten from him was the loud beating of his heart. Hitomi tried to stifle the grin that was threatening to break out on her face. The anxious and slightly eager part of her wanted to continue, but she didn't. It wouldn't be best to push Chase. He might actually kick her out. So, Hitomi sighed softly and shut her eyes for bed.

She was a bit braver the next night. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Hitomi rested her hand on Chase's stomach. She could feel the muscles under her hand tense slightly at her touch. Just like last night, her fingers danced over the muscles of his stomach. Once she had reached the edge of Chase's pants, Hitomi squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation for what she was going to do next. Her fingers moved back up his stomach, this time touching the skin of his stomach. Her fingers felt so cold, but Chase was so warm. After a few more minutes of running her fingers along his abs, Hitomi decided to stop for tonight. She kept her hand on his stomach though.

Chase wasn't sure how she expected him to sleep now. Was she going to do this every night? Why was she doing this now? Would he stop her if she tried it again? There was also the biggest question of all. Did she want him to return the favor? Chase took a deep breath and to calm his nerves and center his chi. He had no time for these thoughts. It was time for bed.

~:~

Hitomi took a deep breath before pushing open the doors to Chase's room. She didn't see him, but she could hear the sink running in the bathroom. Nervously, Hitomi tugged on the edge of her shorts and adjusted her tank top. She'd never bothered to reveal so much skin when she came to bed with Chase. Her pants had always covered her entire legs and her shirts always had sleeves. Just _what_ was she thinking!? Hitomi swallowed again. This was a dangerous game she was playing. But she couldn't convince herself to stop. It was exciting how forbidden it felt. What was _wrong_ with her!? She had no experience with boys and now she was trying to learn with Chase!? There was still time to leave. She could rush back to her room and change. Or maybe sleep there tonight...

The bathroom door opened. Time was up. It was time to face the music. Hitomi tried to pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary as she finished pulling down the covers and adjusting the pillows that she wouldn't use. She tried not to look at Chase, but she could feel his gaze on her. If he asked about the wardrobe change, she'd just lie and say that all her other clothes were dirty. She could do this. But, Chase didn't comment. Instead, he went about getting in bed just like he normally did. Hitomi wasn't sure if she felt relieved that he hadn't called her out on the change or disappointed that he hadn't commented. Maybe Chase didn't care for girls to show skin? Hitomi was sure that all guys liked a show. Well, Chase wasn't like other boys. Deciding not to worry about it, she slipped into bed and took up her place at his side.

Chase was not one to care for revealing outfits or shows of seduction. 1500 years of training himself towards his ultimate goal of strength, power, and world domination had left him practically immune to female wiles. But even he had to admit that he had stared at Hitomi a bit longer than he should have.

When he felt Hitomi sidle up to him, Chase outwardly appeared completely composed. But inwardly, he felt a nervous excitement to find out what Hitomi would try tonight. She never did too much- only a little bit a night. It was enough to get his attention without overwhelming him. This was all foreign territory to him after all.

Her hand was on his chest tonight. Once again through his shirt, she slowly felt the contours of his chest. It was actually a soothing touch that was lulling him to sleep. He had been feeling so relaxed when he suddenly felt her lift her head off his chest before placing a small kiss to the place over his heart. Chase was wide awake now. He had almost asked her why she had done that, but refrained. He felt her lay her head back down on his chest as her hand moved over his entire torso. Eventually, her hand stopped moving and her leg started to overtake his. He could feel her leg warming his as she slowly moved it up so that her thigh covered his groin. Chase stilled when she moved even closer to him. They were so close now. He could feel her breath on his neck. That teasing hand rested on his right shoulder and Chase was sure that she was done for the night. Chase nearly cursed when he felt her lips rest on his neck, however.

Okay. Chase had every intention to move her away now. That was more than enough. His hand moved around her to rest on her hip. He had only wanted to pull her away, but his sudden touch must have startled her. He felt her jump slightly before she gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly. Her body was tensed and completely still next to him. He hadn't meant to scare her. Chase pulled his hand away, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. He stopped when he felt Hitomi's hand quickly grasp his own. He furrowed his brows at the ceiling as he felt her return his hand to where it rested on her hip before she returned her hand to his shoulder.

They didn't move again for some time. Hitomi kept completely still, her eyes wide open as she waited for something to happen. Chase stared up at the ceiling while trying to maintain his composure. His mind was blank. After several minutes of just staring at the ceiling, Chase moved the pad of his thumb along the side of her hip. Hitomi bit her bottom lip to suppress the squeal that was threatening to bubble out of her throat. Her excitement dimmed when she felt Chase's large hand come in contact with her bare skin. Her tank top had ridden up. When had that happened? His hand never moved from that spot on her hip, but it did rub and squeeze lightly at the area. Hitomi sighed once into the crook of Chase's neck. Eventually, his ministrations guided her into a realm of unconsciousness.

~:~

It used to only last a few minutes. Their little game of light touches never went past twenty minutes of sweet torture. Eventually, it came to the point where they spent nearly an hour with a hand on the other. Clothes always ended rumpled and out of place, but never completely removed. Hitomi's hand steadily increased in the amount of times it bumped into the waistband of Chase's pants, but she never dared to venture down below that clearly marked line. She wasn't _that_ brave. But she had considered it when Chase had suddenly upped his game.

She hadn't been expecting it at first. He normally kept his hand on her hip. Sometimes, his other hand would grasp hers and just hold it. This meant that she couldn't explore him any longer, but she did get to intertwine their fingers instead. One night, his hand had moved. It slid up her hip a bit before squeezing lightly. Hitomi's eyes had shot open immediately and she kept still as she waited for Chase to continue. His hand had continued up her torso before stopping just below her breast. She was sure that Chase could feel her heart pounding now. Hitomi waited in anticipation for what he would do next, but nearly groaned in disappointment when his hand moved back down. After all this time, she had been hoping for a bit _more_. It was definitely new and uncharted territory, but Hitomi couldn't help but feel ready for that next step. Wasn't Chase? Maybe he was waiting for a sign from her?

Chase finally closed his eyes as he readied himself for sleep. It didn't take long to calm his heart rate. He'd been getting more than enough practice calming himself down after their sessions. Right when he was feeling the effects of fatigue on his mind, he felt Hitomi shift. Instantly, he was awake and on edge. Had he overstepped his boundaries just now? Was she going to leave? He didn't open his eyes, but he waited for her to move. It took a few seconds, but he felt her lean in towards him before placing her lips onto his. Her hand cupped his cheek lightly while her lips started to move against his. He could feel her hair tickling his neck and face as she kissed him.

Maybe this was a bad idea? The last time she had kissed him, Chase hadn't been pleased. Okay. She would stop. No matter how much _she_ liked kissing him, she wasn't about to force herself on him. But then she felt that hand of his move again. It was running along her back, further pushing up the fabric and exposing her back to the cold. Feeling emboldened, Hitomi shifted again. Her body was covering half of his as she straddled his left thigh. This was definitely a good idea.

She used to scoff at other girls her age when they talked about being with a boy like it was the most important thing in the world. She'd rolled her eyes at their stories. Despite traveling all over the world during her training, the girls always talked about the same petty things. She'd never had time to listen to them giggle about how it felt to kiss a boy or touch one or how it felt when a boy touched you. Mentally comparing their stories to her current feelings, Hitomi felt that she had gotten the better deal.

Pulling apart for air, Hitomi rested her head under Chase's chin as she tried to catch her breath. Chase's hand was still caressing her back softly, but it wasn't calming her pounding heart. She felt so warm and tingly all over. She wanted to ask Chase what he was thinking, but she didn't want to break the silence. She tried shifting again to get more comfortable, but froze when she felt the poke on her thigh.

Hitomi froze. She'd been so wrapped up in her fun, she hadn't considered what it could lead to. Chase didn't say anything, however. Maybe he didn't feel her brushing up against his- Hitomi squeezed her eyes shut. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Hitomi allowed her muscles to relax. It wasn't _that_ big of a deal. This was Chase she was thinking about. He wasn't the type to force or hurt her. She trusted him. Besides, she wouldn't have let it continue for this long unless she was ready for this on some level. Right? Hitomi waited patiently for Chase to make his move.

She had been waiting for several minutes for a sign, but the only one she got was Chase's hand stilling on the middle of her back. Hitomi waited for some time, but he never moved again. After a few minutes, his breathing evened out and she knew that Chase had fallen asleep. Hitomi nearly face-palmed. He was going to fall asleep _now!?_ Hitomi rolled her eyes. She could wake him up... But Hitomi had a feeling that that wouldn't be the best idea. If Chase was done, she wouldn't force him. She'd just have to wait until tomorrow night.

~:~

Hitomi made sure that she was already in bed before Chase got out of the bathroom. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she did her best to remain calm. She held a book on the medicinal properties of plants in her hands, her eyes roaming over the page but not really reading the words anymore. After talking with her mother, she was feeling much better about her decision. While her mother hadn't been 100% pleased, she had been understanding. Hitomi was sure of the fact that Chase Young was the one for her. If she couldn't have him, there wouldn't be anyone else. She didn't need sex to prove it. But after these past few nights, it would be a lie to say that she wasn't expecting it at the very least. She would just have to convince Chase...

"Can I turn off the lights?"

Hitomi nearly jumped when she heard Chase's voice. He was standing next to the bed with his hand poised to turn off the lamp. Hitomi nodded before shutting the book and resting it on the nightstand. Once Chase slipped under the covers and the lights went out, Hitomi held her breath.

 **~TURN AWAY! ADULT CONTENT AHEAD! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!~**

Chase let Hitomi cuddle up to him before resting his hand on her hip. He was feeling a bit more tired than usual tonight and he was looking forward to finally going to sleep. He was kept awake, however by Hitomi's hand caressing his ab muscles. He was about to stop her hand and put an early end to her actions, but he froze when he felt her fingers slip under the waistband of his pants. It was only a little slip. If you didn't know any better, you could say that it had been an accident. But then she'd done it _again_.

The need to sleep was leaving him now. Chase kept still as he felt Hitomi place light kisses on his chest before moving up to his collarbone and to his neck. He moved his head to the side to give her room while his hand once again repeated its usual path along her side. She was kissing his along his jaw now with her hand blazing a trail under his shirt along his torso. When she removed her hand from his body to lightly cup his cheek, he allowed her to turn his face toward her. She kissed him fully on the lips this time, her hand moving up to his head to get lost in his soft hair. For the first time, Chase shifted his position so that he was laying on his side and fully facing Hitomi. The hand on his cheek slid down his front to grip his shirt. His right hand took up the task of caressing her side while his left held her to him. He could feel her heart beating overtime as his hand got close to her breast. Before he could even think about placing his hand on her breast, he felt Hitomi's hand guide his upwards.

Once she was sure that Chase wouldn't pull away, Hitomi grabbed his shoulder before falling backwards and pulling Chase with her. Chase pulled away from her and remained hovering over her. Although she couldn't see his face, she was sure that Chase was giving her a questioning expression. Whether he could see her or not, Hitomi smiled before running her foot along the back of his leg. This time, it was Chase who initiated their kiss.

This was such an exciting feeling. She'd never bothered to explore her body before, but Hitomi was having a hard time explaining why not. She could feel the anticipation building in her chest as well as below her waist. For the first time, she was able to feel him with both hands. The muscles on Chase's back were just as toned as those on his front- firm and amazingly warm. Hitomi wondered if he would let her...

Chase had been in the middle of feeling Hitomi's nipple harden between his fingers when she suddenly pulled away. He took the chance to catch his breath. He figured that she was done for the night, but he was surprised when she pulled his shirt over his head before tossing it away. Now hovering bare-chested over her, Chase couldn't help but feel like they were getting dangerously close to the point of no return. He didn't have much time to contemplate this further, however. Hitomi was already pulling him back in for another kiss as her hands now ran over his chest, neck, back, shoulders, and arms. Feeling emboldened, Chase began trailing kisses down her jaw and neck while slipping an arm behind her back.

Hitomi arched her back slightly while moving her head back to give Chase more room to place light kisses on her neck. When his kisses became a bit rougher, Hitomi couldn't hold back to soft moan of approval. She couldn't focus on touching him with the pleasant feeling of him sucking at the skin of her neck and his hand kneading her breast. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck loosely. Growing tired of playing with her left breast, she felt his hand shift over to the right and push the fabric of her tank top away. "Take it off," Hitomi commanded in a whisper.

Chase had been surprised to hear her speak. This was the first time they had used words to communicate. Not hesitating for once, Chase used one arm to lift her off the bed slightly while his free hand gripped the tank from where it bunched above Hitomi's breasts before pulling it off her completely. Her chest was now bare and pressed firmly against his. Laying back down, Chase's right hand made its way down to her hip. His fingers toyed with the band of her shorts, dipping under to tease the skin there several times. He returned his lips to her neck just as he gripped the waistband of her shorts in his fist.

Hitomi was finally able to focus long enough to get her hands to work again. Slowly, she brought her hands down to the waistband of Chase's pants before slipping her hands inside. It felt like Chase was wearing boxers. Tugging his pants down a bit more, Hitomi let her hands feel Chase's rear. When she gave his behind a slight pinch, Hitomi nearly giggled when she felt Chase jump slightly. She felt Chase nip at her neck in response before his hand pulled at her shorts and tugged down her underwear as well. Her bottoms were half on at this point. Hitomi took a deep breath before lifting her hips off the bed.

Chase removed the shorts and underwear before initiating another kiss. Those hands were pulling down his pants before he felt fingers hooking in the band of his boxers. It wasn't long before he could feel the cool air in the room on his exposed backside. He could feel those teasing fingertips on his hips, threatening to move in close to his shaft. Before they touched him, however, Hitomi moved her arms around his neck again and pulled away from the kiss. "I'm ready," she whispered to him. Heart pounding, Chase gripped the back of her thigh before situating himself at her entrance. Capturing her lips in another heated kiss, he eased himself inside her.


	15. Chapter 14

Chase sipped at his bowl of Lao Mang Long soup before placing the steaming bowl on the table before him. His eyes were closed in a form of meditation and he held himself with perfect posture. He remained this way for several more seconds as he awaited the return of his Crow. It had been some time since he had received a report from his Crow. He would need to check in on Hannibal and Wuya. Chase was sure that those two were silently licking their wounds, but he had to be sure that they weren't attempting any _more_ suicide missions any time soon.

About a minute later, Chase heard the door to the dining room open before shutting loudly. He was about to lift his bowl up to his lips again when he heard Hitomi say, "Good morning, Chase" before placing a peck to his cheek. Unlike the first time she had done this, Chase didn't physically react. He hummed once in response.

Hitomi pouted a bit before flopping down onto the only other chair at the other end of the table. "You're talkative this morning," Hitomi mused with a sly grin as she placed the plate of unripe papaya she had gotten from the kitchen onto the table in front of her.

Finally opening his eyes, Chase stared evenly at Hitomi. He wasn't surprised to see that she was once again wearing one of his robes and eating unripe papaya for breakfast. She had been eating the fruit every morning for about a week now. Chase frowned. "If you want papaya, you don't have to eat it unripe," Chase informed her.

"I know that. But I read in a book that unripe papaya acts as a natural contraception," Hitomi replied.

Chase nodded once. He had been meaning to bring up the topic to her, but he hadn't been sure how to go about it without offending Hitomi. He had felt that a conversation like that would have brought up a topic he didn't care for. Being perfectly honest, a pregnancy was the _last_ thing Chase wanted. Offspring would only complicate his life in a way that he did not need. Whenever Chase pictured his future, there was never a child in it. Ruler of the world, the most skilled warrior on the planet, and the undisputed King of Darkness were a few of the things he saw for himself. _Not_ a father. Chase was relieved that Hitomi had _some_ similar feelings.

"What are you doing today, Chase?" Hitomi asked with a smile.

"I will be spending the day observing Wuya and Hannibal. They have been trying to acquire Shen Gong Wu. I can only assume that they plan to use them to overpower me," Chase said with a scoff.

Hitomi giggled lightly before getting up from her seat. Her papaya finished, she approached Chase purposely. "Well, don't overwork yourself. I'll see you later. Okay?" Hitomi said before cupping her hand under Chase's chin. She lifted his head before placing her lips onto his for a deep kiss. They remained connected for several seconds until Hitomi pulled away with a light giggle. Hitomi left Chase alone then and made her way back to his bedroom. Chase rolled his eyes at her with a smirk before going back to his soup.

She had been extremely affectionate since their first night together. It had taken him some time to get used to the displays of affection, but he had eventually gotten over his embarrassment. Hitomi was very loving and seemed to thrive on affection. Rejecting her would only would her deeply and cause immeasurable damage to their budding relationship. Although he never cared to officially start a relationship in the first place, Chase didn't put an end to their current one. Hitomi was happy- so much so that she was practically glowing- and Chase felt peaceful. Everything was alright in their world.

~:~

Omi pushed some snow away as he continued his search. Not seeing anything worthwhile, Omi gave up and returned to where his fellow monks were gathered. "My friends, have you had any luck locating the Imo Gazer?" Omi asked.

The four monks were gathered atop what was probably the coldest mountain in all of Russia. Despite their thick winter wear, they all still shivered heavily. Kimiko shook her head in the negative with a frown. "We've been searching for hours. Dojo, are you _sure_ that the Imo Gazer revealed itself?" Kimiko asked with her hands on her hips.

"I'm _positive!"_ Dojo exclaimed and dabbed a hanky at his red, stuffy snout. Dojo sneezed loudly, his fiery sneeze causing the snow beneath him to melt.

"It's suspicious that not even Jack Spicer or Wuya have arrived. Normally, they would not take so long to appear when a new Shen Gong Wu has revealed itself," Omi pointed out.

"Omi's right, Dojo. Maybe you're just sick," Raimundo dismissed Dojo's sniffles with a wave of his gloved hand.

"I'm _telling_ you! The Imo Gazer is around here...somewhere... I _know_ it is!" Dojo said with a shiver before slithering around through the snow.

"Dojo, its starting to get mighty cold. The sun's not even out anymore. Maybe we should just head back down-" Clay started to appease the dragon, but was cut off by Dojo's triumphant exclamation.

" _Ah-ha!_ I _knew_ it! The Imo Gazer is this way! Come on!" Dojo shouted before slithering away quickly.

"Haven't heard _that_ before today..." Raimundo grumbled. The four monks followed Dojo through the snow yet _again,_ their arms wrapped around their bodies as they tried to warm themselves. The light snowfall that had greeted them upon arrival was slowly becoming an unpleasant torrent. The cold wind whipped at their exposed faces, turning their lips dry and blue while their noses felt completely numb. Kimiko had let the long hair of her pink wig down a few hours ago, but not even that could help the Dragon of _Fire_ conserve heat.

" _Dojo-_ " Kimiko started to complain, but was silenced by Dojo.

"It's _here_!" Dojo exclaimed while pointing at a mound of snow in front of him. The dragon slithered over before starting to use his claws to scoop away the snow. "Don't just _stand_ there! Help me!" Dojo shouted out.

The reluctant monks just stared and shivered where they stood. Kimiko rolled her eyes before crying out, "Wudai Mars, Fire!" and firing a ball of fire at the mound of snow. Dojo shrieked loudly before ducking out of the way just before the ball of fire hit the snow mound.

"What do you know..." Raimundo said with a chuckle. "Dojo was right," he said before walking forward and picking up the telescope-looking Shen Gong Wu.

"I _told_ you so!" Dojo called out while slithering back over to the monks.

"Great. Now, let's get _out_ of here," Kimiko said with a shiver.

"I don't think so, Xiaolin _losers!"_

The four monks groaned loudly and hung their heads. With unamused glares, they looked up to see Jack Spicer flying in with his jet pack whirring behind him. He glared menacingly down at the monks, but that glare fell from his face when his jet pack sputtered threateningly. Before he could peer behind him to see what was wrong, Jack's jet pack gave out on him with a loud creak. As he felt himself fall towards the ground, Jack screamed loudly and flapped his arms to try to save himself. Clay sighed loudly as he shook his head. "I'm okay! My jet pack just seized up from the cold," Jack said to the monks as he picked himself up from the ground.

"Let's get out of here," Raimundo said to his friends while gesturing for them to leave. Dojo quickly transformed and waited on the teens to climb onto his back.

"Hey! Wait! You can't leave yet! What happened to the epic battle!? The witty banter!? Oh come _on!_ Omi didn't even butcher any slang!" Jack exclaimed in a huff.

"Forgive us, Jack Spicer. We will kick your butt twice as hard the next time we meet. But for now, we must get to warmer temperatures," Omi said as he climbed onto Dojo's back.

Jack nearly stomped his foot. What was _wrong_ with these do-gooders!? Didn't they know that they were supposed to defeat him in battle before they could think about taking the Wu!? What ever happened to protocol!? "I've been waiting in my ship for you losers to find the Wu for hours! The least you could do is fight me for it!" Jack exclaimed.

"You _want_ us to kick your butt?" Raimundo threatened.

Jack balked. "Well... No... I mean, who says that you will!? I've got some new bots ready to take you down! Snow bots, attack!" Jack exclaimed and pushed a button on a remote that he pulled from his coat. At once, a hoard of robots shaped like snowmen with metal arms ending icy blue blades flew onto the scene.

"Shoku Astro, Wind!" Raimundo shouted before leaping off of Dojo's back. Cupping his hands together, Raimundo formed a powerful tornado that sucked in all the snow bots and the falling snow around him. The bots clattered around loudly within the tornado before exploding in a ball of fire. Once Raimundo landed on Dojo's back, the dragon took off for home.

Jack watched with a slack jaw as the scraps of his bots fell around him. A small, strained squeak escaped him. He had spent _hours_ designing those bots. Not to mention the time it had taken to actually _build_ them! He had spent so much time modifying them to be able to withstand the cold as well as the monks' attacks, but it had been for nothing. Jack picked up a carrot-looking piece of metal with a sigh. At least Wuya and Hannibal hadn't shown up this time. If they had, he'd be going home with more than just broken bots.

The way things had been going lately, Jack wondered why he even bothered to try sometimes. With the monks stronger than ever and Wuya and Hannibal Bean working together, Jack barely stood a chance. There was no luck for _this_ underdog. Gripping his jet pack between his cold fingers, Jack frowned at the frozen gears. " _Stupid._ How could I forget to switch to my cold-weather pack?" Jack grumbled before using his remote to call his ship. Slowly, he started to collect his scrap metal and load them up into the small cockpit. He couldn't just leave them behind. He would have to sort through them to find the salvageable parts to rebuild his bots. His parents were being so strict with his allowance lately. How did they expect him to buy the materials he needed to build his inventions!?

"What a waste of time," Jack grumbled as he flew through the snowstorm in his black jet with a pile of scrap metal behind him. At least it was the monks who had the Wu this time. Jack wasn't too concerned if they had it. It was easier to steal Wu away from the monks than to fight them for it. If Wuya and Hannibal had gotten it, however... Jack shivered despite being in his heated ship. Wuya and Hannibal were evil, just like he was. If he tried to steal from them, he was sure that he wouldn't be able to get away unscathed. At least he could count on the monks not to pull something sneaky or underhanded.

One thing kept bugging Jack, though. Why _were_ Wuya and Hannibal working together? Jack had thought that Wuya was with Chase. Even more so, Jack knew that Chase never let Wuya out to get Shen Gong Wu in the first place. So, what was up? We're Wuya, Hannibal, and Chase working together now or something? No way! If they were forming some evil villain team, they would have invited him... Right? Jack turned the steering wheel to fly his ship down a different path.

Jack never really needed a reason to visit Chase Young's lair. Chase was- and still is- his idol. Chase Young terrified Jack, much more than the monks ever could. Chase was everything Jack hoped to be and more. Just his name alone sent people running for the hills. What Jack wouldn't give to have that kind of respect.

~:~

Hitomi brushed her hair out from where she sat in front of Chase's vanity. Placing the brush down, she picked up a glass bottle of unknown liquid before giving it a tentative sniff. "Chase has more beauty products on this table than I've ever owned in my entire life," Hitomi giggled. Hitomi heard her mother's growl (that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle) from where Naomi sat next to her. "Sometimes, I think he cares more about his hair than anything else," Hitomi joked in a whisper before giggling and rising up from the vanity.

As she walked about the bedroom, Hitomi picked up the discarded clothing that was on the floor before placing them in the hamper. She and Chase had yet to learn how not to get their clothes everywhere when they were undressing. When she heard a low growl, Hitomi faced her mother with a raised brow. Naomi gestured to a piece of fabric that was poking out from under Chase's bed. "Thanks, mama. I almost missed that," Hitomi responded before going over to pick up the... Hitomi's cheeks flushed slightly. Quickly grabbing her discarded underwear (how had _those_ gotten _under_ the bed?), Hitomi prayed that her mother hadn't been able to recognize the garment. "Let's get going. We can go for a walk or something."

Hitomi was quick to scamper out of the bedroom with her mother following behind her at a leisurely pace. Honestly! She shouldn't feel so embarrassed about this. It's not like her mother didn't know that she and Chase were... _active._ Hitomi shook her head slightly. She was mature enough for this. She would just ignore it. It wasn't _that_ big of a deal.

"I think he really likes me, mama. I wasn't too sure about it before, but now I think he really does," Hitomi said softly with a small smile. She heard her mother growl softly while softly butting her head against Hitomi's leg. "I'm really happy with Chase, mama."

The two continued their stroll through the palace in silence. Hitomi looked down at her mother walking next to her before making a mental note to ask Chase to return her mother to her human form. While it was just nice to have her mother with her, it would be nice to be able to hear her voice again. As with most of their walks through the palace, it ended with them entering the throne room. Before they could leave the room, however, Hitomi approached the throne before taking a seat. Naomi raised a brow at her daughter while tilting her head to the side. Hitomi blushed slightly. "I was just stuck in another fantasy, mother. Do you think Chase would put a seat next to his for me to sit in one day?" Hitomi asked before giggling. Naomi shook her head fondly.

"That's wishful thinking on my part," Hitomi said with a sigh. ' _A girl can dream...'_ Hitomi stretched and lounged on the chair comfortably. What _would_ it be like, though? To sit on a throne next to Chase... Since he was the "Prince of Darkness", would that make her the Princess... of _Darkness?_ Hitomi frowned. That didn't sound good. It made her sound _evil._ She didn't want that. Hitomi shook her head wildly. Where was she even going with this? It's not like Chase was planning on asking her to be his _queen_ or anything. He'd only _just_ gotten comfortable with her showing him affection outside of the bedroom. As if Chase would ask her to take their relationship to the next level _now._

Hitomi was about to get up and continue her walk with her mother, when Naomi suddenly got up on all fours with a snarl ripping out of her throat. Hitomi raised a brow at her mother in question. Naomi was staring down the hall, a growl building in her throat. "Mama? What is it?" Hitomi asked.

" _Hey!_ I bruise easily! Watch it, Whiskers!"

Hitomi frowned. She'd heard that voice before. Before she could identify the person who was screaming like a banshee, Hitomi saw a male lion walk into the room with a black trench coat in his maw. The trench coat was being worn by a struggling and angry Jack Spicer. Hitomi raised a brow. "Jack Spicer? What are you doing here?"

"Wait a second... I know that voice," Jack said as he stopped trying to pull away from the lion that had jumped him upon entering Chase's lair. Looking ahead of him, Jack's eyes widened upon seeing Hitomi. She was sitting on Chase's throne with a lion growling lowly next to her. That wasn't the worst part. Hitomi looked to only be wearing a black, silk robe. The sleeves were long, but the front was parted slightly. Jack blinked owlishly before his eyes started to look around the room. It's not like she had too much on display, but it was still more than Jack had ever seen. "H-Hitomi, where's Chase? I came to see him. Why are you even here? Aren't you supposed to be with those monks?"

"No. I..." Hitomi started, but stopped. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, "I'm here now. I lost to Chase in a battle and bet my freedom."

"That was _dumb._ Chase is the best martial artist in the world. No _way_ you could beat him," Jack said with a shrug and roll of his eyes. Hitomi glared. "Look, I just came to see Chase. So, can you call him for me or something so he can call off Whiskers here," Jack said and tried to pull away from the lion again. When the male lion growled lowly and shot Jack a threatening look, Jack shrieked loudly and covered his head defensively.

Hitomi rolled her eyes with a loud sigh. "Let him go," she told the lion.

Jack had been surprised when the lion had actually released him. Scrambling up from the ground quickly, Jack dusted himself off. "Uh... thanks, I guess," Jack said awkwardly.

"Don't mention it. I'm not sure if Chase is even here. If he were, he would have sensed you coming and been here by now," Hitomi said with a shrug.

"Really? That is so _cool_. Okay. I can just wait here then," Jack said before moving to take a seat on the floor before stopping. He shot Hitomi a strange look. "Why am I sitting on the _floor_? I'll sit there," Jack said and pointed to the throne.

" _I'm_ sitting here," Hitomi said.

"So? It's not like you're anyone important. At least I'm an evil, boy genius. Chase and I are like evil kin- almost like evil, twin brothers. I deserve to sit there more than you do!" Jack objected. Hitomi raised a dubious brow. Jack thought that he and Chase were like twin brothers? Hitomi laughed loudly. She held her gut as she bent at the waist, a loud laugh bubbling out of her throat. Jack frowned deeply. "Why are you laughing!? It's true! You can ask Chase!"

"I will then. I'm sure he'll back up your claims," Hitomi answered with a roll of her eyes.

"Can you just call him? I didn't come here to talk to you. I came for Chase," Jack huffed and folded his arms over his chest.

"Why have you come to bother me _now_ , worm?"

Jack felt a cold sweat break out on his back as he heard Chase's voice speak to him. His eyes going wide, Jack watched Chase walk into the room with his hands folded behind his back. Jack felt his heart rate pick up when he felt Chase's glare land on him. Jack nearly caved and ran for it, but he swallowed thickly. Chase hadn't even done anything and he was already terrifying Jack! "I...uh... I came to ask you something, Chase. I was just wondering about Wuya... Wuya and Hannibal Bean. Wuya's not here is she?" Jack asked and looked around the room stupidly.

"Wuya is no longer welcome here," Chase growled out. His gaze on Jack narrowed.

"Oh! So I guess she's living with Hannibal then? It's just that I saw them working together to get Shen Gong Wu and I was just wondering how that happened. I thought maybe the three of you were working together. F-for a second, I was wondering why you guys didn't invite me to team up with you," Jack babbled.

Chase glared harshly at Jack. His patience with the pale teen was running low. Not that he ever had much to begin with. Chase's irritation nearly vanished when he heard Hitomi giggle lightly. He raised a brow at her. "I didn't know you knew _how_ to work with others, Chase," she said as she smirked at him. Chase shot her a warning look that she ignored.

Jack balked. Who did Hitomi think she was!? She was talking to Chase Young- _the_ Chase Young- like... like... Jack didn't know how to describe it. Since when did these two get so casual!? Chase wasn't even glaring at her! Chase _always_ glared at him!

"Leave now, Spicer or you will be escorted out," Chase commanded in a no nonsense tone.

"Uh... Actually, I was hoping to get some advice from you, Chase..." Jack trailed off. "It's just that you're such a legendary evil-dooer. I was hoping you would be able to help me out since you're so awesome an all," Jack schmoozed. One thing to know about bad guys: they loved having their egos stroked.

"No. I have no time for you, insect. Like I said, leave now," Chase replied.

Jack frowned and slumped in disappointment. Hitomi frowned sadly at Jack. The pale teen looked like a kicked puppy. It was easy to tell how much Jack looked up to Chase. Pursing her lips, Hitomi stood up and walked over to Chase. "Just give him a chance, Chase. What harm would it do?" Hitomi said and folded her arms over her chest. For extra measure, she batted her eyes at Chase with a bright smile.

Chase raised a brow at Hitomi's obvious attempt at flirting with him. He narrowed his gaze at her before looking over at Spicer. The pale teen was eyeing the two of them with curiosity in his eyes. Chase nearly cursed. Spicer may be an abysmally poor excuse for an evil villain, but he wasn't a complete fool. It wouldn't be hard to tell that there was something different about his and Hitomi's relationship. Chase had been about to crudely dismiss Hitomi's request in order to throw Jack off their trail when he noticed Jack's lingering gaze on Hitomi. Chase raised a brow before looking back at Hitomi. Chase nearly blushed. Hitomi was standing with her arms folded under her breasts. This wouldn't have been such a big deal if she were wearing more than _just_ his robe. When it was just the two of them, he didn't care what she wore. But with Jack here and staring the way he was...

Jack pulled his eyes away from Hitomi's slight cleavage yet again. Did Chase make her walk around like that? Geez. What did he have to do to get a life like Chase's? Before his eyes could roam over Hitomi's figure again (it's not like he meant to!), Jack felt a hand grip his throat tightly. He released a choking sound as his body was lifted off the ground. Looking down with wide eyes, Jack's fearful gaze landed on Chase's threatening one. The immortal boy was growling lowly with a sneer. "Ch-Chase?" Jack was barley able to get out.

"Chase! What are you doing!?" Hitomi cried out in shock.

"Consider this your only warning, _worm:_ leave and do not return. If you do, I will put an end to your miserable existence," Chase growled and dropped Jack onto his rear. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Chase! _Crystal!"_ Jack shouted as he gasped for air. Not wasting any time, Jack pulled himself onto his feet before running out of the throne room with a girlish, frightened scream.

Chase watched him go before turning on his heel. He watched Hitomi raise a brow at him in question. Narrowing his gaze at her, he snapped, "Is it so hard for you to dress in _proper_ clothing?"

Hitomi looked down at herself before blushing slightly. "Oh... Whoops," Hitomi said with a sheepish laugh. When she saw that Chase's glare wasn't lightning up, Hitomi smiled softly at him. She approached him before saying, "You shouldn't frown so much, Chase. You'll get wrinkles." She tried to smooth out the frown on his face, but Chase grabbed her by the wrist to stop her. Hitomi blinked at him confusedly, but then she smiled at him again. "Alright, Chase. I'll go change if it will make you happy," Hitomi said with a shake of her head.

Honestly, she had been about to leave so that she could change. She wasn't too sure what Chase was so upset about, but she had a suspicion that it had something to do with Jack. Chase didn't care how she dressed when it was just the two of them, but he probably didn't want just anyone to see her walking around in his robe. Hitomi nearly laughed. Was Chase Young actually _jealous?_

Before she could leave, Chase pulled her towards him with a frown on his face. He didn't give Hitomi a chance to question him. Instead, he placed a hand at the back of her neck and pulled her in for a deep kiss. It only took her a few seconds to respond, but when she did, Hitomi wrapped her arms around Chase's neck loosely and sighed softly through her nose. She accepted his rare show of affection before the need for air became too great. Feeling lighter than air, Hitomi pulled away with a giggle. "Geez, Chase. You can't keep your hands off me. Can you?" Hitomi said with a laugh before walking away. Chase rolled his eyes at her back. That girl was going to be the death of him.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Was that foreshadowing? Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't. Who knows? Don't forget to review!


	16. Chapter 15

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! Quick question: What's your favorite Chase Young quote? I'm just curious. Mine is: "Very small hands?" from the episode, The New Order.

XD The joke went right over my head when I was little. But once I got older, I learned about what it meant for a male to have small hands. XD The fact that the proud, mature and composed Chase Young made a joke like that is hilarious to me. While I laugh up a storm, I'll let you guys get to reading...

~:~

Master Fung entered the discussion room at the Xiaolin Temple. He saw eight other monks sitting on pillows in a circle around the fire pit at the center of the room. Taking his seat quietly, Master Fung waited for the meeting to be called to order.

"Now that Master Fung is here, we can begin," Master Mooshi said. He was a stout, elderly man with more wrinkles on his face than he had years of life. "I am sure that you all know why this meeting was called. There is a disturbance amongst us. I first sensed it on the wind while I was performing my daily meditation."

Master Fung pursed his lips in thought. Master Mooshi was a former Dragon of the Wind. The man often spoke of the wind whispering to him. Some other monks mumbled to themselves before refocusing on Mooshi.

"I have sensed it as well. I felt the abnormal vibrations from the earth," Master Yoshi agreed. He was one of the brawnier monks, but that didn't say much. Yoshi was easily the loudest and most outspoken monk at the temple (excluding the current monks-in-training). His mostly-grey beard swung from his chin as he spoke in a deep baritone voice.

"You sense abnormal vibrations from the earth every other week," Master Roku said with a roll of his eyes. "Get to the point, Mooshi."

"I believe that our enemies have recently grown in strength. The balance between the powers of good and evil have shifted in favor of the Heylin side," Mooshi said gravely.

Immediately, the room erupted in loud arguments. Master Yoshi was yelling above everyone else, his booming voice kept shouting, "I _knew_ it!" Other monks were fretting in their seats, their wide-eyed gazes watching each other. Finally, Master Yoshi shouted, "Fung! What of those monks that are under your instruction?"

"The children grow and become stronger every day. Their progress is much more impressive than any of us had expected," Master Fung answered honestly.

"The balance had been steadily shifting in favor of the Xiaolin side for some time until recently. An abrupt change has caused this imbalance. It is impossible to tell this soon whether it is due to a known enemy suddenly gaining an increase in power or the creation of a new darkness," Master Mooshi said.

" _Blast_! Just when we think that we are getting an advantage, those dastardly villains surge ahead. What are we going to do about this, Mooshi?" Yoshi shouted.

"What _can_ we do? We have no idea who's doing this," another monk pointed out in a small voice.

"I believe that it is the witch, Wuya. She must have found a new way to gain more magic. Curse Dashi for not destroying her. Now, she's more of a problem than she was 1500 years ago!" Yoshi shouted.

"No. It has to be Hannibal Bean. He has powers that he's been smart enough to keep hidden. Plus, it wouldn't be the first time that he's turned someone over to the Heylin side," Roku pointed out.

Master Fung watched the monks go back and forth animatedly. He and Master Mooshi were the only ones not speaking. Instead, they listened to all the wild theories that were being tossed around. Master Fung had no idea what to make of this. But, he felt inclined to think that it had something to do with Chase Young. Chase had had Hitomi within his midst for some time now. Being in such close proximity to a Heylin warrior of Chase's caliber would be enough to persuade most to joining the forces of evil. Chase had increased in strength when he had stolen Omi away from the Xiaolin side. It wasn't too much of a stretch to believe that Chase was now using Hitomi's chi to fuel his own.

"It's Wuya!"

"Hannibal Bean!"

" _Wuya_!"

" _Hannibal!"_

"There is _no_ yelling in this room! You two are worse than the teenagers…"

~:~

Wuya flipped through a magazine with a sneer on her face. Did mortals really _read_ this junk? Who cares what some rapper named his children? With a roll of her eyes, Wuya set the magazine on fire before stretching out on her throne with a yawn.

"Don't go to sleep yet, Wuya."

With a lazy expression, Wuya rolled onto her side to see Hannibal swoop into the room on Ying Ying's back. "Oh, Hannibal. I was just about to take a nap. What is it?"

"We have problems, Wuya. You've sensed it. Haven't you?" Hannibal started and stared up at Wuya with a deep frown on his face.

"Sensed what?" Wuya asked and lazily scratched her scalp.

"The shift. The monks have sensed it as well. Ying Ying heard them talking about it. They can tell that the balance between good and evil is shifting in our favor," Hannibal said.

"Well, that's good. Right?" Wuya responded with a careless shrug.

"No! No! _No!"_ Hannibal shouted before leaping up to lands on Wuya's nose. The witched focused on him with a frown, nearly going cross-eyed in the process. "I know for a _fact_ that neither you nor I have recently seen an increase in power. So, if the shift wasn't because of us, who _else_ could it be?"

Wuya thought this over for several seconds before sitting up with a loud gasp. Hannibal went flying off her face and through the air. " _Chase!_ " Wuya hissed.

"That's what I figured. It could also be that we have a new ally, but I doubt it. Whenever there's a new _team player,_ they always make themselves known as soon as they can. These youngins feel that they got to let the whole world know that they've arrived," Hannibal said with a roll of his eyes.

"I _know._ Jack was unbearable in the beginning. They get a few abilities and they think that they're going to take over the world in a day. Been there, done that," Wuya scoffed with a roll of her eyes. Hannibal chuckled. "So what are we going to do about Chase? He's probably planning some big revenge scheme."

"Chase is the type to make grandiose plans to get what he wants. If he is plannin' something, it's gonna to take a while before we see any results," Hannibal mused and rubbed his chin.

With a roll of her eyes, Wuya pressed the pad of finger onto Hannibal's head. "If you haven't already noticed by now, _everyone_ is seeing results. We've got to do something and _quickly_. If Chase _is_ planning something, you know that we're the first two people on his revenge list," Wuya stressed.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Hannibal asked while brushing his few strands of hair back into place.

Wuya paced the floors of her throne room frantically. "I don't know! Chase won't listen to us now. He'd rather rip our throats out. We could try to overpower him again, but I'm not sure how well that will work," Wuya answered.

"You want to try the _same_ thing _again?"_ Hannibal asked with a skeptical tone _._

Wuya shrugged. "Hey. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"I'd say that it's _more_ than broken," Hannibal mumbled. "What about the girl?"

"Hitomi? If she's smart, she'll try to kill me as soon as she sees me. I'd do the same if I were her. Then again, she doesn't seem too bright," Wuya replied.

Hannibal rubbed his chin with furrowed brows. Suddenly, he snapped his root-like arm similarly to someone snapping their fingers. "I got it. We'll use the monks."

"The monks? What would we do with _children_?"

"Those _children_ are our best bet for taking Chase down. The little tykes have been getting stronger lately. Don't you think? I'm not sayin' that they'll be able to beat Chase. But maybe they'll be good meat shields while we work," Hannibal suggested.

Wuya pursed her lips as she hummed in thought. "Meat shields, huh? That sounds like it could work."

"Hear me out," Hannibal said before leaping up to sit on Wuya's rock throne. "We take some time off from really obtainin' the Wu. Instead, we take the time to subtly train the monks. Get them up to snuff for when Chase makes his move. They'll be stronger- possibly strong enough to last a few minutes while we launch a sneak attack."

"We'll need something serious to throw at Chase. You got any ideas?" Wuya asked and folded her arms over her chest.

"I've got one. A sort of insurance policy, if you will," Hannibal said and gestured to Ying Ying. Obediently, she flashed the hologram of a small vial from her black eyes.

"What's that?" Wuya asked.

"Why Wuya, that's a bottle of chi that it currently tucked away safely in the Ying Yang World," Hannibal replied in a smooth tone.

"Okay. Great. What are we supposed to do with some nobody's chi?" Wuya huffed. She shot Hannibal an impatient glare.

"Not some "nobody's" chi, Wuya. Chase Young's chi. His _good_ chi," Hannibal explained. Wuya's eyes widened. "You and I are pure incarnations of evil, Wuya. There is no good in us. But Chase, he was good once upon a time. All that good was locked away centuries ago. It feels like it would be a waste to return Chase Young to the side of good, but I'd do anything at this point to keep my head. What about you?"

Wuya stared down at the bottle of chi with a grin slowly sliding onto her face. "We have to make sure that the monks don't become too powerful if we do this. We can't have them become strong enough to beat us once Chase is out of the way," Wuya said seriously.

Hannibal chuckled lowly. "Don't you worry your pretty little head, Wuya. We've got a plan. And this one is _sure_ to succeed."

~:~

Hitomi watched Chase move fluidly through the motions of his Tai chi stances with his eyes shut in concentration. He was so graceful when he moved. It was almost like he was dancing. Did Chase know how to dance? Surprisingly, Hitomi wouldn't put it past him to know how. He was good at so many different things… She opened her mouth to ask him, but she never got the chance.

"Remain _silent_. I've allowed you to remain in my presence. Do not make me regret that decision," Chase spoke up to her.

Hitomi closed her mouth with a pout. From where her mother was sitting next to her, Naomi's shoulders shook in silent laughter. Hitomi shot her mother a look before slumping on Chase's throne. She'd just have to do with watching him… Or maybe not?

Chase was in the middle of shifting into his Horse stance when he sensed Hitomi take up the spot in front of him. He cracked an eye open with irritation lighting up his gaze. He nearly rolled his eyes when he saw what she was doing. "You're doing it wrong," Chase chided.

"I think I'm doing pretty good for a beginner," she responded.

Chase sighed deeply before continuing about his motions. Every few seconds, he would take a glimpse at Hitomi only to see her copying his movements nearly perfectly. "Keep your kuas open," Chase chided.

"My _what?"_ Hitomi replied with a confused expression. She watched Chase roll his eyes at her before approaching her. He went about manually fixing her stance before returning to his spot. "That doesn't really explain what a _kua_ is."

Chase sighed again. He shot her an annoyed expression, but she returned his gaze with a bright smile. Although he kept the frown on his face, he did feel a sense of peace moving through him. Her smile usually had that effect on him. It was like a balm to soothe the tense demeanor that he'd taken up lately.

Someone amongst the Heylin side had been making moves towards an increase in strength lately. Chase was sure that it wasn't Wuya or Hannibal. He'd entertained the thought that there could just be some new up-and-commer who had joined the side of evil. Chase didn't bother to concern himself with that notion. No newcomer would pose a threat to him. Besides, he had bigger things to concern himself with.

Hitomi watched the frown on Chase's face deepen. His expression held so much seriousness. He didn't look any older than she did, but his entire demeanor screamed "old soul". Well, he _was_ 1500 years old. "What's got you so tense?" Hitomi asked.

Chase nearly brushed off her concerns. Raising a brow at her, he asked, "If I don't tell you, you'll just pester me about it later. Won't you?"

"Of course. I have to keep an eye on you. It's not healthy to be this stressed out. Have you tried yoga?" Hitomi suggested.

Chase couldn't hold back the loud groan and complementary roll of his eyes. Hitomi giggled lightly at his expression before smiling brightly. Seeing her bright smile, Chase cracked a small smile of his own. "I'm concerned with what my enemies are planning. There's been a shift in the balance between good and evil."

"A shift?"

"Yes. Think of the forces of good and evil as if they were on a balancing scale. When there is a new addition to one side or someone increases in strength, the scale tips in their favor. Recently, there was a large tip in favor of the Heylin side," Chase explained.

"You think Wuya and Hannibal Bean are planning something?"

"No. I've been watching over them closely-"

"You've been spying on them? That's kind of creepy."

Chase shot her a warning glare. "They haven't done anything to increase their strengths."

"Well, could it be that there was a loss on the Xiaolin side?" Hitomi suggested. Chase raised a brow at her. "That would also tip the scale. Right?"

"I've been keeping an eye on the monks as well-"

"Still creepy."

"And I know that they haven't experienced any losses. They've got a lot of old geezers that refuse to die," Chase said crassly.

"Look who's talking," Hitomi muttered loud enough for him to hear. At Chase's low growl, Hitomi straightened up. " _Wow._ Is that the time already? I'm going to go get some lunch. Come on, mom. Let's get something to eat."

Chase watched her leave with her mother at her side before rolling his eyes. He was doing that a lot lately.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Don't forget to review!


	17. Chapter 16

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! I'm really excited for this chapter and the rest of the story. This is literally my favorite part of the story. I've been waiting so _long_ to get to this point! I really hope that you guys enjoy this chapter and the ones to come... Not that I don't hope that you enjoyed the previous chapters, too... I just... Nevermind. Just go ahead and read. -_-

~:~

Chase frowned deeply as he entered his bedroom with a tray of food in his hands. He nodded once to Naomi in acknowledgment. She raised her head off her paws before resting her head back down with a frown. Chase brought the tray over to rest on his nightstand.

"Hot soup and _orange juice_?" Hitomi questioned skeptically.

"You need liquids. Or would you rather die of dehydration?" Chase questioned with a raised brow.

Hitomi groaned pitifully before tucking herself under the sheets. Hitomi had woken up yesterday morning feeling incredibly nauseous. Over twenty-four hours later and she was still unable to get out of bed without feeling the effects of vertigo. "It's like having a hangover without the fun from the night before," Hitomi's voice groaned from under the covers.

"I wouldn't know the feeling," Chase replied.

Suddenly, Hitomi pulled down the covers to give Chase an incredulous look. "Over fifteen hundred years old and you've _never_ been hung over? I find that hard to believe."

"I don't drink. Only fools intentionally poison themselves just to feel a lack of inhibition and common sense," Chase answered.

Hitomi glared up at Chase. " _Wow._ You really have a way with words, Chase," Hitomi said before rolling her eyes.

Chase smirked down at her. "Finish the food. I will check on you later."

"Okay. Thank you, Chase."

Chase didn't reply as he left the room. She had probably eaten something that didn't agree with her stomach. He didn't keep spoiled food in his home. Maybe it was an allergic reaction?

Hearing a loud caw, Chase looked up in time to see his Crow swoop into the room. The black bird flapped its wings before landing on his shoulder. "You've returned. What have you learned?" Chase asked the bird. Crow immediately allowed Chase to peer into its eyes as it replayed what it had seen like a movie.

 _Crow landed on a tree branch that overlooked the courtyard of the Xiaolin Temple. The four monks were training in the courtyard. They practiced with the respective elements as they sparred with each other in pairs. Omi was proving to be a formidable opponent for the dragon of the wind, but the tanned boy was especially skilled at dodging Omi's attacks. The dragon of earth was a polar opposite, barely moving from his sturdy stance while the dragon of fire attacked like a viper from all sides._

 _"Young monks, I must speak with you all," Master Fung said as he approached his students. The four, elemental dragons-in-training ceased their training to approach their master in curiousity._

 _"What is it, Master Fung?" Omi asked inquisitively._

 _"I am afraid that I have worrying news. Recently, you all have been growing in strength and ability. Your improvements were tipping the balance between good and evil in favor of good," Master Fung started._

 _"Well, that's a good thing. Right?" the dragon of wind asked with a shrug._

 _"Yes, Raimundo. However, there has been a much more recent shift in the balance in favor of the Heylin side," Master Fung explained._

 _"Oh no!" the dragon of fire said with a gasp._

 _"This is most troubling," Omi said with a frown._

 _"Do we know what happened?" Raimundo asked with a serious tone._

 _"We are not sure. Some of the other monks believe that the shift is due to Wuya or Hannibal Bean gaining strength," Master Fung said._

 _"What do you think, Master Fung?" The dragon of earth asked._

 _"I do not think that this is the work of either of them. I believe that this is Chase Young's doing."_

 _"Chase Young? You think Chase Young is getting stronger?" Kimiko asked._

 _"Perhaps. I believe that it may have something to do with Hitomi."_

 _"You think Chase's channeling Hitomi's chi like he did to Omi," Raimundo surmised._

 _"Precisely Raimundo. It is just a theory, however."_

 _"That seems like something Chase Young would do. We cannot put it before him!" Omi said seriously._

 _"Put it past him," Raimundo corrected automatically._

 _"So, what are we gonna do? The last time we tried to get Hitomi away from the varmint, she wasn't too keen on leavin' with us. Besides, Chase looked angrier than a cowboy with a burr in his saddle at the time," Clay pointed out._

 _"Clay's right... I think. If Chase is stronger, there's no way we could beat him," Kimiko reasoned._

 _"Do not worry, Kimiko. Master Fung has just praised us for our improvements in skill and strength! Surely, we would be able to pose a threat to Chase Young after some time. Do not forget, I have already bested Chase Young once before," Omi bragged._

 _"Wow, Omi. We're lucky to have you on our side," Raimundo said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes._

 _"Yes, Raimundo. Although you are the only Shoku warrior, I am sure that there is still something that I can teach you," Omi said with a confident expression. After several seconds, Omi did sober up and say, "And I am sure that there is something that you can teach me, my friend."_

 _Raimundo smirked down at the small monk before running a hand over his round head._

Crow suddenly blinked its eye to end the vision. Chase smirked. "I had not even considered channeling Hitomi's chi to strengthen my own. It is a decent idea," Chase mused. "What of Wuya and Hannibal?"

Crow blinked again.

 _Wuya was lounging on her throne with a magazine over her face. Soft snores sounded from her. She breathed deeply for several seconds, her chest rising and falling. She sprang up in her sleep, however, when loud thuds could be heard. Wuya rubbed sleep out of her eyes and glared at the rock giants who had entered the room. "What is it?" she hissed._

 _"Hey, Wuya. It's me, Jack!" Jack Spicer called out from within the cell made out of the lead golem's stomach._

 _Wuya rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Jack?"_

 _"I was just wondering if you and Hannibal wanted to, you know, work together?" Jack asked with a hesitant chuckle. Wuya raised a brow with her arms folded over her chest. "I was thinking that I could do some spy work for you guys. Maybe I could infiltrate Chase's lair to collect intel for you guys. I'm guessing that something happened between you guys since Chase kicked you out."_

 _Wuya snarled. "Chase didn't_ kick me out. _I left him to die with a broken spine and a gaping hole in his neck."_

 _Jack gulped loudly. "Oh... Well, I saw Chase not too long ago. He looks fine to me. Better than fine actually. Did you know that he's living with Hitomi? Well, you probably already knew that..." Jack trailed off and twiddled his thumbs nervously._

 _Wuya narrowed her gaze. "You saw Hitomi? How is she? I may have left Jack, but I just feel_ terrible _about leaving a fellow girl in his presence," Wuya said with feigned worry._

 _"Oh! She's fine. Better than fine really. She and Chase looked like they were getting along. It makes sense. I mean Hitomi is okay looking," Jack said with a light blush. "N-not that I was staring or anything! I didn't talk to her much though. Chase went psycho on me and nearly strangled me! Then he kicked me out. It was pretty weird."_

 _"You don't say..." Wuya said with a smirk. "Thanks for the info, Jack. You have some use after all."_

 _"What? Are you going to let me out now?"_

 _"No, Jack. I'm going to let you leave in one piece. For old time's sake," Wuya said and waved her golem off. The large giants stomped out of the room with a shouting Jack while Wuya hummed to herself. Several minutes later, Ying Ying swooped into the room with Hannibal on her back. "You'll never guess what I heard."_

 _"You're such a gossip, Wuya. What is it this time?" Hannibal asked._

 _"I think Chase has gotten even closer to Hitomi. He snapped and nearly strangled Jack for looking too long at her," Wuya said._

 _"I never figured Chase for the jealous type. And to be threatened by Jack Spicer? Pitiful if you ask me," Hannibal said with a shake of his head._

 _"Maybe Chase isn't too focused on revenge if he's busy playing house with Hitomi?" Wuya suggested._

 _"Perhaps. Even though he acts all high and mighty, Chase has a weakness for the girl. We should still keep our guards up though," Hannibal said._

 _"You're right. I'm sure that the shift is Chase taking advantage of some new power," Wuya agreed._

Crow blinked again before flying away. Chase rolled his eyes. Leave it to Jack Spicer to flip flop so easily. Chase almost regretted not at least breaking a bone in the teen's body the last time they met. Chase frowned. He didn't deny that he was weak when it came to Hitomi. But that did _not_ mean that he wasn't still a force to be reckoned with. Wuya and Hannibal shouldn't dare to oppose him him without some sort of trick up their sleeves.

~:~

Chase stared up at his ceiling at night about a week later. His arm was hung loosely around Hitomi's frame, holding her to his side. She had been sleeping soundly for a few hours, but Chase hadn't been able to slip into unconsciousness. Lately, he'd been having a foreboding feeling surrounding him. Hitomi had been one the wiser, but her instincts were not as sharpened as his.

Every day, the upset between the balance grew more pronounced. Everyone seemed to suspect each other and were slowly building up their strengths and defenses. Chase had to admit that he hadn't been too focused on defending himself, however. Hitomi's decline in health was occupying his mind. Hitomi had only _just_ gotten over the worst of her bug, but she still felt overwhelmingly tired.

In the complete silence of his bedroom, Chase suddenly sensed it again. That foreboding sense had returned again, but this time it came along with an unfamiliar presence. Making use of his enhanced vision, Chase sat up to glance around his room. Where were they? Chase tried to slip out of the bed, but Hitomi held fast onto him in her sleep. He growled lowly before moving out of bed anyways causing her to be half-pulled out of bed.

"What the-?" Hitomi mumbled and rubbed at her eye. Why was she hanging over the side of the bed? Pushing herself up, Hitomi spotted Chase standing next to the bed and looking around the room. "Chase, what are you doing?"

"There is someone in here with us. I can sense them," he answered.

Hitomi looked around, but didn't see anyone. She raised a brow at Chase's back. She watched him leave to search his bathroom. She heard him move things around before exiting the bathroom. He searched the closet next. "Are you sure? I don't see anyone," Hitomi reasoned.

"You're instincts haven't been honed enough to sense the presence of others," Chase dismissed her. Where _were_ they!? He could sense them right behind him, but when he turned, he could only see Hitomi yawning on the bed. They could have used Wu to shrink them self or become invisible. "Get up," he told her and reached out for her.

"Hey!" Hitomi objected as Chase pulled her off the bed.

They had moved. Chase turned to Hitomi and examined her closely. She was glaring at him with a tired expression. Patting her down, Chase frowned deeply.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," Hitomi muttered.

" _Hush_ ," Chase hissed at her while moving her clothes to the side.

It wasn't enough that he had woken her up when she _really_ wanted to sleep. Now, he was exposing her skin to his gaze while poking and probing at her. Hitomi didn't mind when Chase touched her, but tonight she _just_ wanted to _sleep_. Finally, he stopped probing her and was just staring at her stomach. "Can I go back to bed now?"

"It's coming from you," Chase said in a confused tone.

"I'm the intruder?" Hitomi questioned. Maybe Chase was more sleep-deprived than she was?

"They're _inside_ you," Chase explained with a hardened expression.

Hitomi's brows furrowed in thought. Was there a Shen Gong Wu that let you enter someone's body?

"You weren't sick from a bug. It was _morning sickness_ ," Chase said and moved away from her. His harsh glare on her stomach never let up. Hitomi's eyes widened.

~:~

Omi, Raimundo, Clay, and Kimiko were eating a lunch of rice and soup after having completed their training and chores for the day. After performing the actions day in and day out, the monks found that they no longer got the terrible muscle fatigue that they used to feel. They were sure that they could take on extreme training under Master Monk Guan without batting an eye. Raimundo was just placing down his soup bowl when Dojo suddenly flew into the room and right into his soup. "Hold _everything!"_ Dojo shouted and scratched at the angry boils that covered his scales.

"Oh, _Dojo! Gross!"_ Raimundo objected and pushed the bowl away from him. He tried to wipe off the soup that had splashed onto his robes.

"A new Shen Gong Wu is revealing itself," Dojo said before writhing around on the table while scratching at his scales. The other monks held their bowls above their heads as they stared at Dojo in slight disgust. Pulling at his skin to reveal a conveniently hidden pocket, Dojo pulled the Shen Gong Wu scroll out of his pocket. He spread the scroll out on the table while scratching at his armpits. The monks turned varying shades of green at the sight of green scales falling from Dojo onto the table. "The Indigo Pyramid has revealed itself," Dojo informed.

"I think I'm going to be _sick_ ," Raimundo said and stared down at the pile of scales that was forming on the table.

"The Indigo Pyramid allows the user to change someone's mind," Dojo said while displaying the usual, two figures in the scroll. One figure charged towards the other, but the second held up the indigo pyramid. Suddenly, the first figure to stopped mid-attack before shrugging and walking away.

"Where is it? Egypt?" Kimiko suggested.

"Of course not! That'd make it too easy. We hid it somewhere _no one_ would think to look," Dojo said.

~:~

"The _arctic!?"_ Kimiko shouted.

"Yeah. It's the Indigo _Pyramid._ Instead of hiding somewhere warm, we hid it somewhere cold. Pretty smart, huh?" Dojo said as he flew through the cold air above the frozen tundra.

The four monks sat huddled together on Dojo's back on one of the only spots that _wasn't_ covered in boils ( _ew)._ "This is the second Wu in a row that we're going to get frostbite for," Raimundo griped.

"Oh, stop complaining. At least we got here first," Dojo pointed out.

"That's because everyone else is just waiting for us to find it or freeze over trying," Kimiko grumbled.

Dojo flew down to where he sensed the strongest presence of the Wu. The monks jumped off him quickly before quickly going to work on clearing the snow and ice. "I say that we work quickly to find the Indigo Pyramid," Omi suggested and washed away a large portion of the snow.

"Second it."

"Ditto, dude."

"Can't argue with them words."

Dojo watched the children clear away the ice and snow as he spread some snow over his irritated scales. The snow was doing wonders for the pain he was feeling. It would be terrible trying to warm back up later though. It was times like these that make him wish that he weren't cold-blooded. Maybe he could hide under Clay's hat? The boy seemed to trap heat under there like nobody's business.

"Hey! I think I found it!" Kimiko cried out.

"Thank God. I was not looking forward to spending hours digging through the snow," Raimundo said as he stuck his hands in his coat pockets. The boy's went over to Kimiko while she ran over to where she saw the glittering metal sticking up from the snow.

Kimiko had been about to grab the Wu when another hand reached out to grab her own. "Huh?" she asked before following the hand up a thin, tanned arm.

Wuya was smirking in Kimiko's face. "I'll take that," Wuya said before tossing Kimiko backwards. The small girl went flying before landing onto the snow in front of her friends. With a triumphant laugh, Wuya picked the pyramid out of the snow.

"Good work, partner," Hannibal congratulated as he bounced through the snow.

"Wuya and Hannibal Bean, prepare for a most humiliating defeat!" Omi shouted.

" _Defeat_? We already _won,"_ Wuya said and flashed the Indigo Pyramid tauntingly.

"Silk Spitter!"

Suddenly, the Indigo Pyramid was snatched out of Wuya's hand by a string of shiny, white silk. Wuya's jaw dropped in shock. Everyone looked up to see Jack Spicer flying overhead with the Silk Spitter and Indigo Pyramid in his hands. "Take that, _losers!_ By the way, that includes you too Wuya," Jack said before laughing obnoxiously.

"Jack Spicer! Return the Indigo Pyramid at once!" Omi shouted before leaping at Jack.

Jack shrieked loudly when he felt Omi's small body latch onto his jet pack. The shriek was cut short by Omi striking the side of his hand against Jack's neck. Omi wrestled the Wu away from Jack with a triumphant cry.

"Wuya, don't just hand it over to him," Hannibal whispered into Wuya's ear after jumping onto her shoulder. Wuya nodded once before summoning her rock creatures. At the sight of the small army, Dojo screamed loudly before slithering away from the scene.

When Omi landed in the snow, he looked up to see that he was surrounded on all sides by Wuya's rock creatures. "Leopard Strike!" Omi shouted and punched his way through one of the rock creatures.

"Let's help him out!" Raimundo told the other monks.

Wuya and Hannibal hung back as they watched the monks take on the rock creatures. Whenever they defeated one, Wuya was quick to make three more. "They're gettin' a _real_ workout," Hannibal whispered to her.

"I think they'll be too tired to carry all their Wu home. Let's relieve them of their burden," Wuya replied with a cruel grin. Hannibal lept off Wuya's shoulder just in time to land on Ying Ying's back as she flew by. With amazing speed, Wuya jumped into the fray. With viper like movements, she knocked out both Kimiko and Raimundo before tossing them into Clay's back. Wuya faced Omi with a smirk. "I never did see what Chase saw in a cueball like you. In my opinion, you're nothing more than a ball of hot air on an incredibly tiny body," Wuya taunted before running at Omi.

"Twigs and rocks!" Omi fired back before blocking her punch at his head.

" _Sticks_ and _stones_!" Raimundo corrected just before quickly dodging an attack from a rock creature.

Omi blocked all of Wuya's attacks easily while shooting her a fierce glare. Wuya smirked down at him before attempting to roundhouse kick his head. Omi leapt up to dodge the attack before shouting, "Wudai Neptune, Ice!"

Wuya's eyes widened as she watched dozens of small daggers of ice form around Omi before zooming towards her. Rather than dodge, Wuya used her magic to summon up intense, green flames to melt the ice. Once the ice daggers were gone, Wuya smirked. "Nice try," she teased.

"Thank you, but I would not be smiling if I were you," Omi said with a smirk of his own.

Wuya frowned. Feeling the snow around her slide over her bare feet as it moved behind her, Wuya quickly turned around. Her eyes widened as she spotted the wall of snow behind her. Before she could move to defend herself, the snow crashed over her in one, huge wave before compacting and solidifying into a block of ice.

Hannibal watched the battle from the air, his eyes watching the monk's every move. They were really getting good. Wuya looked to actually be struggling against the cueball. In the middle of his musing, Hannibal spotted Jack slowly crawling away from the fight. " _Coward,"_ Hannibal said with a scoff. But then he saw something glint in Jack's hand. Hannibal's eyes widened. "Wuya! The Wu!"

Wuya froze. Her eyes scanned over Omi's small body while the monk patted down his robes. When she saw that Omi no longer had the Wu, she quickly searched the field. Her eyes landed on Jack who was 50 feet away.

"Jack Spicer has the Indigo Pyramid!" Omi exclaimed.

Jack screamed before rising up and attempting to make a break for it. Things had been going so well too! Omi hadn't even noticed when the Wu fell out of his robes. Jack had just wanted to take the Wu and sneak away. Was that too much to ask!? Before Jack could get too far, a dogpile of the monks, Wuya, and Hannibal fell on him. The Wu fell from Jack's hand and landed in the snow. Everyone froze as they watched the Indigo Pyramid. Before anyone could move to grab it, a gloved hand picked up the pyramid. All eyes looked up at the new person.

" _Chase Young,"_ Omi growled.

Chase smirked down at the pile of all his enemies. "Isn't this a sight? Enemies and traitors all in one place," Chase said.

"Chase! I thought you didn't need Shen Gong Wu," Jack pointed out as he pulled himself out from under the pile of bodies.

Chase shot Jack an annoyed glare. "I _don't,"_ Chase replied. But he did have a special use for this particular Wu...

 _"No," Hitomi told him with her arms folded over her chest._

 _"No?" Chase repeated dangerously._

 _"Like I said: no. For your sake, I'll forget that you just asked- no,_ demanded _\- that I get rid of our child," Hitomi said while shooting him a fierce glare. Chase growled lowly at her, his eyes glinting with barely restrained anger. "I can't believe you would even ask me that."_

 _"What makes you think I_ want _children?" Chase ground out._

 _He could see the flash of hurt in her eyes before she quickly pushed it away. "Well, it's not your decision. It's my body and I refuse to "get rid of it". It's my decision and you're not changing my mind on this," Hitomi said before stomping away from him._

"Then you won't mind handing this one over," Hannibal said and stretched out his hand.

Chase growled lowly. Honestly, he felt ready to rip something apart. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone here. He'd done his best not to lay a hand on Hitomi, but he didn't owe any of these people the same treatment. When Jack attempted to take a step towards him, Chase quickly sent the teen flying with a well-placed kick to the gut. For once, Jack didn't scream as he fell. The pale teen didn't even get back up after he fell. Everyone's eyes widened at Chase's lack of usual restraint.

"Why Chase. You're in a mood. What's the matter? Trouble in paradise?" Wuya taunted. Chase growled lowly at her in response. Despite herself, Wuya couldn't hold back the pleasant shiver that went up her spine.

"My friends, we must exercise caution," Omi said as he stuck an arm out in front of his friends. His narrowed gaze observed Chase's tense stance and demeanor. Being a Xiaolin monk meant that you faced danger on a daily basis. But staring at Chase Young in this very moment, Omi couldn't help but feel that they were facing a new level of danger.

"Enough of this. Hand over the Wu, Chase," Hannibal said.

"Why don't you take it from me?" Chase taunted with a smirk. He held the pyramid out on the tip of his index finger. With a mocking smirk, Chase made a show of using his other hand to cover his eyes.

Hannibal growled in irritation before leaping at his former protégée. Faster than lightening, Chase smacked Hannibal away with his foot. Wuya watched the bean go flying over her head before Ying Ying shrieked loudly. Ying Ying attempted to reach her claws out towards Chase's eyes, but he quickly transformed into his beastly form and released a loud roar. Wuya and the monks covered their ears, but it didn't do them much good. Chase's roar was shaking the earth beneath them. If they had been standing around any icebergs, he would have surely caused an avalanche. With a wide-eyed expression, Wuya watched Ying Ying fearfully fly off towards Hannibal before pecking his body out of the snow and flying away.

"Care to try your hand, Wuya?" Chase's deep voice growled.

Wuya watched Chase's tail slam into the snow and ice beneath it with enough force to crack the ice. Just what had ticked Chase off this badly? Her mouth opened and closed for a few seconds, "I think this is one Shen Gong Wu that I'll do without."

Chase had attempted to knock her out with a swing of his tail, but Wuya quickly used her magic to teleport away. Growling lowly, Chase turned an eye onto the four monks. He could hear each of their heart rates pick up. Despite their obvious fear, they each took on a defensive stance. "You're either very brave or very stupid," Chase told them.

"We are Xiaolin warriors. We will always take on evil no matter where it may be!" Omi said before leaping towards Chase fearlessly. Chase used his free hand to easily block Omi's attacks before grabbing the boy by his head and holding him out at arm's length. "Shimo staff!" Omi shouted before extending the pole made of ice to jab Chase in the chest. Chase released Omi's head as a reflex before glaring down at the boy. Faster than Omi had expected, Chase shot a fist out to punch the boy directly in the face.

"Omi!" Kimiko shouted in worry.

Raimundo eyed Chase Young critically. This was just like last time. His every instinct was telling him to run and abandon this fight before things could get too bad. As the leader, he had to put his teammate's well-being above his own. Right now, Chase Young didn't look like someone to mess with. Normally, Chase held a bit of restraint when he fought them. But Chase looked like he was angry enough to go for blood. Raimundo wasn't sure what brought about this change, but he didn't want to find out.

"Dojo!" Raimundo called out and looked around for the dragon. Dojo poked his head up from where he was hiding several feet away. The small dragon was shaking in place. Whether it was from the cold or pure terror, they didn't know. "Guys, we gotta go. _Now,"_ Raimundo stressed.

"You're speaking my language, kid," Dojo said before quickly growing in size.

"I suppose all of you are cowards. Is _this_ what your master has taught you?" Chase taunted.

Omi glared at Chase in deep hatred. Before Omi could leap at Chase again, Raimundo grabbed him by the back of his robes. Omi struggled in place, his arms stretched out towards Chase Young and a furious expression on his face. Raimundo gave Omi a look of warning before lifting him off the ground and calling Dojo over. "Raimundo! We cannot just leave the Wu! _Raimundo!"_ Omi shouted as he struggled in Raimundo's hold. Kimiko and Clay shared a look as they watched Omi kick and scream wildly while Raimundo resolutely walked towards Dojo.

No sooner than Raimundo had placed Omi on Dojo's back was the small boy jumping off again. "Omi!" Raimundo shouted at the boy in frustration.

"No, Raimundo. We cannot turn our backs on our duty!"

"I'm trying to keep you from getting killed, you dope!" Raimundo shouted down at Omi.

"I do not need your protection, Raimundo. You may be leader, but you are not my caretaker. Kimiko, Clay, surely you agree with me?" Omi asked.

"Omi, I don't know if you noticed, but that doesn't sound like a good idea," Kimiko started. She frowned worriedly at Omi's quickly-swelling, black eye. She was sure that he couldn't see out of that eye anymore.

"I reckon Kimiko's right. Right now, Chase looks meaner than a wet panther," Clay reasoned.

Omi slumped comically as he stared at his friends. They were running from Chase Young. _Again!_ Omi was about to argue his point some more when Raimundo suddenly shouted at him. " _Move!"_ he shouted in a frantic voice before shoving Omi away. Omi fell face first in the snow with his irritation mounting. He pulled himself up, ready to lash out at Raimundo for his foolishness, but froze at the sound of Kimiko shouting worriedly.

" _Rai!"_

Standing quickly, Omi's eyes widened at the sight of Raimundo fending off Chase Young. "Raimundo!" Omi shouted in worry before leaping at Chase's back.

Chase felt Omi latch onto the back of his neck and pull his head back. He could feel Raimundo strike at his stomach several times and nearly knock the wind out of him. He sensed the other monks moving to join in on the fight. Tossing the Indigo Pyramid away for now, Chase gripped Omi by the arms, his claws sinking into the boy's flesh. He slammed Omi into Raimundo before using his tail to knock both boys away. He had about three seconds to block the Dragon of the Earth's punches to his face. Holding the fists in his hands, he squeezed down onto them until he heard the bones in the hand crack. Ignoring the boys shout of pain, Chase punched the boy in the gut and brought him to his knees before using his tail to knock the boy out with a hit to the head.

"Wudai Mars, Fire!" Kimiko shouted as she fired fireballs at Chase. She must have fired at least twenty of them at him, but Chase didn't hesitate to knock each one away with the back of his hands. " _Great,"_ Kimiko muttered and sunk into a fighting stance.

"My turn," Chase said and gathered his own ball of flaming, Heylin energy between his clawed hands.

Kimiko's eyes widened as the fireball came at her. But it was _fire._ She could handle this. Standing her ground, Kimiko attempted to cancel out the attack with her own fire. Putting everything she had into her blast, she watched it sail towards Chase's fire. Her eyes widened when she saw her own flames be absorbed by his attack just before it hit her in the chest and arms. She fell back onto the snow with a loud gasp and scream. Kimiko couldn't remember the last time she'd actually been burned. What kind of fire _was_ that?

Raimundo clutched an arm around his mid-section as he dragged Omi's unconscious body towards Dojo. Although Raimundo had taken the brunt of the attack from Chase's tail (he was sure that something was broken), Omi had hit his head pretty hard when they'd fallen together. Dojo watched the monks with wide, fearful eyes. Raimundo was just happy that he hadn't run off yet. "Dojo," Raimundo groaned and put Omi on Dojo's back. "Get to Kimiko and Clay. Get out of here while I hold Chase off."

"Are you _nuts!?_ Don't be a hero, kid," Dojo objected.

"Would _you_ rather keep Chase distracted? You _are_ are fire-breathing dragon," Raimundo pointed out. At Dojo's wide-eyed expression, Raimundo said, "Don't worry. I've got a plan. Just go."

Raimundo watched Dojo fly towards the others before shouting, "Shoku Astro, Wind!" Raimundo shouted before whipping up a vicious tornado around Chase Young. "Dojo, go!" Raimundo shouted. The two shared a look before Dojo grabbed both Clay and Kimiko's bodies before flying away. Raimundo grit his teeth in concentration before using his hand to suck the Indigo Pyramid into his hand like a vacuum. As soon as the Wu touched his hand, Raimundo heard Chase roar before breaking out of the tornado. Raimundo's eyes widened when he saw Chase running towards him on all fours. He looked _pissed._ "Golden Tiger Claws!" Raimundo shouted before quickly making his escape. Chase's jaws snapped shut on air, missing Raimundo by a millisecond.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Don't forget to leave your comments in a review!


	18. Chapter 17

Hitomi flipped through the pages of her book with a pensive frown. According to this book, she had to be at least eight weeks pregnant. But that didn't make sense. She and Chase hadn't even been having sex for eight weeks. Maybe the book was inaccurate? Or maybe her baby was just special? How many babies had an immortal, part-reptile Heylin warrior for a father?

Hitomi lounged on her old bed with her ankles crossed. "My baby is half an inch long, huh?" Hitomi mused before looking down at her still-flat stomach. Hitomi quickly flipped through some more pages.

After a few more minutes, Hitomi frowned and sighed. Putting up the book, she attempted to curl up under the covers. She hadn't seen nor heard from Chase in the past few days. She wanted to be angry with him- she still was. But, her anger was fading and making room for an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She understood that he didn't want this kid. She wasn't too excited about it either (she had no idea how to be a mother!). But she couldn't abandon her child.

Chase just didn't understand. She'd spent most of her life without her mother. She'd never wish such loneliness and longing on anyone else. The idea of casting off a child just didn't sit right with her. But no matter how many times she tried to explain it to him, he wouldn't hear of it. The baby may not know that its life had been cut short, but she would. That wasn't something she could keep on her conscience.

"Mama, what if we end up hating each other for the rest of our lives?" Hitomi asked her mother in an almost whispered voice. Naomi lifted her head off her paws to give her daughter a saddened look. "You regret leaving me. Don't you?" Hitomi asked. She could see the tears gathering in her mother's large, brown eyes. Rubbing her hand over her mother's head, Hitomi smiled. "I understand. I don't blame you. I can't do that to this baby. With or without Chase, I'm keeping it and raising it."

Naomi growled lowly before licking at Hitomi's hand in an attempt to offer support.

~:~

Omi opened his eye slowly. He could see the sunlight shining through the window. But, there was something covering his right eye. Bringing a hand up to feel the covering, Omi noticed the bandages around his arm. Raising his other arm in his line of sight, Omi gaped at the white bandages on his arms. What happened to him?

A massive headache was brewing in his skull and his stomach was growling at him loudly. Despite his muscles crying out in protest against it, Omi sat up from his bed and left the room. His friends had already gotten out of bed. Where were they?

Before searching for them, Omi decided to get some food. Luckily, he spotted his friends sitting around the table with Master Fung and Dojo. They were silently eating breakfast together. Master Fung noticed him first. "Good morning, Omi."

"G-good morning, Master Fung," Omi replied and stepped into the room. His eyes scanned his friends with a saddened expression. Kimiko had bandages around her arms, hands, and chest poking out from under her robes. Clay had some bandages wrapped around his head and both his hands. Dojo was feeding him his breakfast. Raimundo seemed to be sitting in a rather uncomfortable position with light wrappings on his hands. Omi took the open seat next to Clay.

So many questions were floating around in his head as Omi dished some food out for himself. He felt concern for his friends as well as what day was it. How long had he been out? But everyone was being uncharacteristically quiet. Omi didn't want to break the silence.

"Three days, dude," Raimundo spoke up.

"Huh?" Omi asked.

"You were out for three days," Raimundo clarified.

Omi nodded thoughtfully. Omi didn't bother to ask how Raimundo knew what he was thinking. Out of all the members of their team, he was sure that Raimundo knew him the best. They had clashed so many times since they'd met. It was only natural that they'd been able to form a brotherly bond. "What have I missed?" Omi asked.

"Not much. We haven't been able to do much since our fight with Chase," Clay answered.

Omi frowned. "I... I am sorry, my friends. I have been a terrible teammate. I let my own anger keep me from doing what was best for the team. I am sorry, Raimundo. But I am relieved that you were able to do what needed to be done when I was acting most selfishly."

"Don't sweat it, dude. We got the Wu and we're alive. That's what counts," Raimundo replied.

"I believe now would be the appropriate time to say _I told you so_. Would it not?" Omi said with a wry grin.

Raimundo smirked. "You look beat up enough as it is. But, I'm glad you know it," Raimundo smirked. Omi offered a small grin before tending to his food.

"Young monks, I am glad to see that you are in lighter spirits. But I must ask what you plan to do next," Master Fung said. The monks immediately sobered up.

"What _can_ we do, Master Fung?" Kimiko replied, a bit hopelessly.

"We done got our butts handed to us more than once by Chase Young. The fella's been mighty agitated lately. Don't you think?" Clay suggested before Dojo fed him some more rice.

"It's like someone spit in his Lao Mang Lone soup or something," Dojo remarked.

"I am most concerned that he is taking his frustrations out on Hitomi," Omi spoke up. Everyone shot each other wary looks.

"How are we supposed to find that out without Chase flipping out on us again?" Kimiko asked.

"I think we should focus on getting better first before anything else. We can't help anyone in this shape," Raimundo said.

"And after that?" Kimiko asked.

"I'm not sure. You think we could just use the Wu to see how things are gonna go?" Raimundo suggested with a casual shrug.

He had only meant it as an offhanded comment. But Omi immediately peeked up with an excited expression. "Raimundo! You are a genius!" Omi exclaimed before dashing away from the table.

"I am?" Raimundo asked.

"What's with him?" Dojo asked with a shrug.

Omi was soon back in the room with a bright smile on his face. His chest was heaving as he held up the Eagle Scope and Fountain of Hui with a bright grin. "Good thinking, dude!" Raimundo shouted out in excitement. The other monks watched Omi activate both Wu with eager expressions. They watched Omi concentrate on the information in front of him with bated breath. Even Master Fung waited patiently for his student. Finally, Omi ceased his quest for knowledge with a wide-eyed expression. He hung his head slowly.

"What is it, Omi?" Kimiko asked tentatively.

"My friends, it is much worse than we thought..." Omi said gravely.

~ _Three Weeks Later~_

Chase walked through his lair, making his way down to the dining room. Normally, he would have eaten breakfast hours ago as soon as the sun had risen. Having spent all night and gone well into the morning practicing his martial arts, he felt drained and in need of something to eat. The practice kept his mind occupied and off of darker thoughts. Pushing the doors to the dining room open, Chase raised a brow when he spotted Hitomi sitting at the table. She had recently made special efforts to change her eating habits just so that she wouldn't have to be in the same room as him. He rarely ever saw her these days. When her surprised eyes landed on him, Chase kept an indifferent expression on his face and took a seat at the table.

He hated how much he missed her presence. He had spent the last 1500 years without anyone to disturb him. But she had completely redefined him by invading every aspect of his daily life. He'd already cursed her dozens of times for this. He'd cursed himself even more for allowing it to happen.

Why couldn't she understand how much danger she was putting herself in? He had come to rely on her ability to defend herself should she need to. She couldn't effectively defend herself while _pregnant_. He was only capable of defending her while he was in peak conditions. If someone attempted to bring about another Heylin Eclipse...

Even worse, she hadn't even considered that he just didn't want children. Children were loud, obnoxious, and disgusting creatures. You weren't just expected to tend to them for a short while either. They needed care for years to come. Chase didn't have the patience to deal with something so dependent for over a decade. His life was his own.

If only he'd been able to procure the Indigo Pyramid... Maybe he could steal it away from the monks? Even the Hodoku Mouse would fix this mess.

Suddenly, Chase felt the fetus's presence again. It had been growing stronger at a rapid rate. From across the table, Chase could almost see the fetus's aura. Chase frowned pensively. It was like a small, bright orange ball glowing like a light. What caused Chase to pause were the flecks of darkness amongst the orange. All souls were inherently dark. Even the purest of monks have their flaws. But for one so young to already possess such corruption...

" _There's been a shift between the balance of good and evil."_

 _"You think Chase Young is getting stronger?"_

 _"I'm sure that the shift is Chase taking advantage of some new power."_

Chase's eyes widened.

Hitomi stubbornly kept her eyes trained on her plate. She could feel Chase's gaze on her, but she refused to meet his eye. If he thought that she would bend easily to whatever he wanted, he had another thing coming. She was just as stubborn as he was. If not, more. So could he just stop _staring_ already!? She stabbed a slice of mango a bit violently before looking up at Chase with irritation lighting her features. "What?" she snapped at him.

Chase was staring at her as if he was examining her under a microscope. Hitomi frowned before returning her eyes to her plate. He was acting so weird. If he hated her, couldn't he at least say so and leave her alone already? Why did he have to stare at her like-

"How are you feeling?" Chase suddenly asked her.

Her chopsticks fell from her grasp. Hitomi looked up to see Chase actually smiling at her. Granted, he looked like a cat who had just eaten a canary. Hitomi instantly felt on edge as well as slightly aroused. Darn her hormones. "W-what?" she asked.

"How are you feeling? Your heartbeat is irregular," Chase commented casually.

"Don't listen to my heartbeat. You don't have that right," Hitomi nearly hissed.

"I was simply concerned for your well-being."

"Oh. _Now_ you care," Hitomi replied with a roll of her eyes. She heard his chair scrape against the floor before his feet padded softly towards her. She nearly jumped when she felt his hand on her back. "What do you want, Chase?"

"You have made up your mind and there is nothing I can do to change it. Rather than fight like children, I've decided to accept your decision," Chase informed her.

With surprise on her face, Hitomi looked up at Chase. He was smiling softly down at her now. It wasn't a cruel or conniving smile. He looked so genuine. "Do you mean it?" Hitomi asked with a small amount of hope in her voice.

"Of course. I will do whatever it takes to bring this child into the world," Chase answered.

With a bright smile, Hitomi launched herself into his arms. "I'm so happy to hear you say that," Hitomi replied. Chase ran his hand along her back with a smirk on his face.


	19. Chapter 18

Moi-Moi: I feel like I have to offer a disclaimer here. This chapter contains a very controversial theme. While I love to have conversations with my readers, I would rather not open the can of worms that is this topic. I hope no one gets too offended by what a character says. Please remember that this _is_ fiction and try not to take things _too_ seriously. No matter your stance, I hope you can enjoy this chapter as well as the ones to come. I'm sorry in advance if you _do_ become offended, but please don't leave any hurtful comments on this story, chapter or in my inbox. Thanks. :)

~:~

If Chase had known what he was getting himself into... It probably wouldn't change much. This was a minor nuisance that was easily tolerable in the larger scheme of things. Chase shot Hitomi a dry look that she couldn't see because she had her back to him. "My eyes are much more developed and efficient than yours. I assure that you have not increased in size," Chase repeated. This past week, Hitomi had been convinced that she was finally starting to gain weight.

"Of course you would say that. But you know better than me. It's not like this is _my_ body or anything," Hitomi replied sarcastically and rubbed her hands along her stomach with a frown.

"Did you think that you would not eventually begin to show?" Chase asked with a teasing tone.

Hitomi shot him a look over her shoulder. "Oh. So you're some sort of pregnancy professional now?" she asked him in a skeptical tone.

"I believe that this is one of the rare times that I am not a master at something," Chase replied with a smirk. "But, I do have a hunch that that's how pregnancy works."

Hitomi rolled her eyes at him with a small smile. "I am worried though," Hitomi said.

"About?"

"Well, not _worried._ More like _concerned_. I was reading this pregnancy book that I got from your library. Not sure why you had it, but I won't judge," Hitomi said before turning and walking over to where Chase was lounging on his bed. She crawled over the sheets towards him before stopping at his side. She smiled at Chase's dry look before saying, "According to that book, I'm twelve weeks along. But that didn't make any sense. But then I thought that it could be because of you."

"Oh? And what did I do?" Chase asked with a raised brow.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe this kid isn't one hundred percent human. You know?" Hitomi said in an unsure voice. Chase nodded once. "Is that alright?"

Chase raised a brow at her. Hitomi looked so unsure in this instant. She was obviously still worried that he would change his mind and revert back to hating the child. If only she knew... "My heir will be more powerful than any human without having to share in my curse. The child is already privileged," Chase answered. At Hitomi's relieved look, he continued, "Hopefully, the child takes after me. The world could do without another you."

"...You just _had_ to ruin it. Didn't you?" Hitomi asked dryly. Chase smirked at her. "Before you can say anything else, it's time for bed."

~:~

Chase had been sleeping soundly courtesy of a very pleasant dream involving his undisputed dominion over the world. Wuya and Hannibal were both locked away once again. Unsurprisingly, he ruled over the world with Hitomi at his side. But his dream persona was pleased by the appearance of a small child in her arms. He could see his amber eyes in the toddler who had been in Hitomi's arms. Just when the child had reached for him with a wide grin, Chase felt himself being pulled from the dredges of sleep.

" _Chase, are you awake?"_

"I am _now_ ," Chase replied in a low tone.

"I need to pee," Hitomi said to him.

Chase's nose wrinkled at this information. She found the strangest times to share unwarranted information. "You're telling me this _because?"_ Chase hinted dryly.

"I tried to get up, but you wouldn't let me go," Hitomi pointed out and tried to pull away the arm that was wrapped around her waist. Chase released her quickly, thankful for the darkness that was effectively hiding his blush. As soon as he let go, Hitomi quickly dashed out of bed and towards the bathroom.

Chase sighed as he ran his hands over his face. That had been a very strange dream. While he was sure that he wanted Hitomi to remain at his side when he eventually took over the world, his plans had never included becoming too friendly with the child. Training it, molding it, and using its chi to feed his own, but never caring for it further than that.

When Hitomi exited the bathroom, she quickly crawled back into bed. "I had no idea you were so grabby in your sleep," she teased lightly.

Chase nearly snorted. " _Who knew_?" Chase replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. He heard Hitomi giggle lightly as she rested her head on his chest.

~:~

It had been quite some time since Chase relaxed on his throne. Normally, he was either meditating, honing his martial arts skills or conducting espionage. But Chase didn't see the need to keep an eye on his enemies today. Lately, he felt supremely reassured in the security of his future. Chase couldn't keep the smirk off his face. It was only a matter of time now...

Idly, Chase could sense the approach of several people. The chi he was sensing was quite familiar to him. Chase frowned deeply. What did the monks want _this_ time? Chase had been expecting the monks to run into the room with some loud declaration that he should surrender to them. He was surprised (as well as annoyed) that the monks crashed through the walls of his throne room while riding on the back of the Crouching Cougar. Chase felt his left eye twitch at the sight of the _gaping hole_ in his _wall._ "I didn't know destruction of other's property was now a requirement for being a Xiaolin monk," Chase said dryly.

"Chase Young, we have not come to fight," Omi stated as he descended from the Wu along with his teammates. The monks looked to be in good health now, Chase noted.

' _No. You just came to damage my home yet again,'_ Chase thought with a glare. He didn't voice these thoughts, however.

"We have come to reason with you," Omi said.

Chase raised a brow at this. "I am rarely surprised, but I must say that this is unexpected," he replied.

"We know what you are up to Chase Young. We have come to reason with you. We hope that you be rational and put a stop to your evil plans," Omi said.

" _Oh?_ And what plans are those, young monk?" Chase asked as he got up his throne and approached the monks with a sly grin.

"We know that Hitomi's pregnant. Omi saw it. He also saw the world being taken over by _you_ and the kid _,"_ Raimundo said with a narrowed gaze.

"The Crystal Glasses?" Chase guessed.

"Actually, the Fountain of Hui and the Eagle Scope," Omi answered.

Chase nearly laughed out loud. The fortunes from the Crystal Glasses were not set in stone. They could always be changed. But to foresee the world's destruction with the Fountain of Hui meant that it was a truth of the universe. Chase smirked. "You are right. Hitomi is currently pregnant. But tell me. If the child's birth decrees such destruction, how _exactly_ do you plan to prevent the world's destruction?" Chase asked with a smug grin and his hands folded behind his back.

Omi's mouth opened and closed for several seconds. His friends narrowed their gazes, but didn't reply. Before anyone could say anything, another voice spoke up. " _What_ is going on in here!? I heard the crash from the kitchen!"

Chase looked over his shoulder at where Hitomi had just entered the room. Thankfully, she was properly dressed. "The Xiaolin monks have come to visit. The want to congratulate us on the pregnancy," Chase said, nearly laughing again.

"That is a lie!" Omi objected.

"Hitomi, you have to listen to us. Omi used the Fountain of Hui and he saw something _terrible,"_ Kimiko said and took a step towards Hitomi with a frown of her face.

"The Fountain of Hui?" Hitomi parroted.

"It is a Shen Gong Wu that contains all the knowledge of the universe. When used with its sister Wu, the Eagle Scope, it let's the user find the specific knowledge that they seek," Chase explained. Hitomi frowned.

"Omi saw Chase and your kid taking over the world. We've heard the whole "thousand years of darkness" bit every other week since taking this job. But this time, it's serious," Raimundo said. Hitomi's hand immediately went to her stomach in a defensive gesture.

"Don't you think you're overreacting? Just a little? I mean, the kid doesn't even have all its fingers and toes yet and you think it's going to become some evil warlord," Hitomi said.

"Hitomi-" Omi started, but Hitomi cut him off.

"I know that Chase is evil. But, don't you think it's possible that the child would want to take after me and _not_ try to take over the world?" Hitomi suggested.

"I highly doubt that any child of _Chase Young_ will not be evil," Omi dismissed.

"We just want you to see reason here, Hitomi. At least give the kid a chance by not letting it grow up in this place," Clay suggested in a soft tone.

"That's not what you were suggesting when you came in," Chase said with a shake of his head.

"What are you talking about?" Hitomi asked him.

"Despite their claims of _righteousness,_ the monks are showing that they are more like me than we thought," Chase answered. "They want to prevent the child's birth."

The monks were puzzled at Chase's choice of words. What did he mean "more like _him"?_ They didn't have a lot of time to think this over, however. Hitomi was immediately shouting, "Absolutely _not!"_ at them.

"Hitomi, please see reason. Chase Young plans to use the child to _take over the world_ ," Omi stressed.

"So to stop him, you would try to _kill_ my baby!?" Hitomi exclaimed. She was sure that her heightened emotions were due to the cocktail of hormones flowing through her body right now, but she was sure that she would feel just as angry without them. How _dare_ they!?

" _No_!" Clay shouted at the same time that Omi said, "If it is necessary."

Clay turned astonished eyes onto the small boy. "Now, hold on there pardner... We never said anything about _killing_ any babies," Clay said.

"Clay, this is the safety of the world we are talking about," Omi said.

"It's _murder_ is what it is!" Clay objected vehemently.

"Omi, Clay is right. I'm not comfortable with what you're suggesting," Kimiko said.

Omi's eyes widened in shock. It was happening again. He was in the minority. He had been rash and irresponsible in the past when this had happened, but Omi was sure that he was right about this. His gaze on his friends sobered.

"Raimundo," Kimiko beckoned to him.

Omi scoffed. He couldn't believe that all his teammates would turn against him like this. He had _told_ them what he'd seen! The destruction of the world with Chase Young as the cause of it. Why couldn't they-

"Guys, I think Omi has a point here," Raimundo said.

" _What!?"_ the other three monks all exclaimed in shock and surprise.

Raimundo raised his hands palms forward. "If this were any other situation, I wouldn't be saying this. I'm sure Omi feels the same. But guys, this is the entire _world_ we're talking about here. It's literally _Chase Young's_ evil kid or everyone else- everyone we know and love," Raimundo reasoned.

" _Excuse_ me!" Hitomi objected. All eyes turned to her. "I don't think that this is _your_ decision."

"Hitomi, please see reason!" Omi pleaded.

"If I wouldn't let Chase convince me to get rid of my child, what makes you think I would let you?" Hitomi fired back.

"Chase tried _what?"_ Clay couldn't help but ask in thinly veiled disgust.

"Is _that_ why he wanted the Indigo Pyramid?" Kimiko voiced her thoughts out loud.

Guessing that it was another one of the Shen Gong Wu, Hitomi asked fearfully, "What does the Indigo Pyramid do?"

"It lets you change someone's mind," Raimundo answered with a serious frown.

Hitomi frowned deeply and hung her head. He'd almost resorted to using Wu to get her to change her mind? She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She desperately wanted Chase to deny it. But he wasn't saying _anything_. Swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat, Hitomi took a deep breath and picked up her head. "I don't care what anyone says. I'm _keeping_ my baby," she said in a final tone.

"You would allow Chase Young to take over the world!? To stand back and not attempt to stop this evil is _just_ as bad as doing the evil yourself," Omi said harshly while glaring at Hitomi.

"Omi!" Kimiko exclaimed in shock.

Omi ignored her and faced Chase Young directly. "Chase Young, you wanted me to join you once upon a time. If I offer myself to you, will you abandon your evil plan?"

"Omi, you can't!"

"Don't do this, pardner."

Chase stared down at Omi with a raised brow. The small monk looked completely serious. Chase smirked. "While the offer would have appealed to me before, I no longer have any need for you at my side. I already have _everything_ I need," Chase said before turning to leave. "I believe that this conversation is over. I would have my jungle cats show you to the door, but I know that you are quite fond of making your own way through my walls," Chase said with a dry tone. He spotted Hitomi staring at him with unshed tears in her eyes. He stopped immediately. Quickly, she wiped at her eyes and ducked her head. Chase could feel a rare pang in his heart. Sighing deeply, Chase said over his shoulder, "Know _this,_ monks. Despite what I've done or what you plan to do, this child _will_ be born. I will make sure of it."


	20. Chapter 19

She was stubbornly ignoring Chase was again. He'd already assured her that he'd attempted to use the Wu to change her mind _before_ he'd decided to support her decision. But he still hadn't denied the monk's accusation of him wanting to somehow use their baby to take over the world. So, she was giving him the cold shoulder. That didn't stop Chase from ensuring that she ate, remained well-rested and comfortable. He'd even gone so far as to return her mother to her human form in order to get back in her good graces. While Hitomi was appreciative, she still wasn't talking to him.

"I don't know what to do, Mama," Hitomi said in a sorrowful voice as she clutched a pillow to her chest.

Naomi watched her daughter before taking up a seat next to her on Hitomi's bed. She wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder before asking, "About Chase or the monks?"

"Both. But mostly Chase. I can't... _abort_ my baby," Hitomi said, slightly struggling to say that wretched word. "But I can't just sit back and let Chase use it as a tool to take over the world."

"I'm not sure what to tell you, sweetheart. This is truly a difficult situation," Naomi replied.

"I've actually thought about leaving," Hitomi said in a soft voice. She hadn't voiced these thoughts before now. She wasn't sure what Chase would do if he'd heard her. Chase did have a quick temper. And while she was sure that he would never purposefully hurt her. But she couldn't say the same for anyone else that he might run into.

"I don't see that doing much good. Chase has been all over the world. He has the resources to find you if you do manage to get away. You would always be running and that's no life for your child," Naomi said gravely.

Hitomi moaned loudly and dropped her head onto her pillow. She curled up in a ball around the pillow while Naomi hugged her tightly. Why did Chase have to be so... _evil!?_ How much of this was her own fault? ' _Pfft. All of it,'_ she thought to herself. She'd _known_ just how evil Chase was, but she'd managed to ignore it and fall in love with him anyway. Now, she was literally growing the key to him taking over the world in her womb. This would be so much easier if Chase were good...

Hitomi suddenly sprang up. "Mama! I've _got_ it!"

"Got _what_?"

"It just hit me. What if Chase were good?" Hitomi asked her mother with an excited smile.

Naomi frowned. "Sweetheart, Chase is-"

"Evil. I know. I'm not saying that he's going to become good any time soon. But what if I could get him to change his mind? You know? Maybe give up on taking over the world?"

"How would you do that?"

"Well, not to toot my own horn, but I'm positive that Chase cares about me a _lot._ He hasn't said the "L" word yet, but still. If anyone would be able to change his mind, it's me. Don't you think?"

"I suppose so. You've already changed him in other ways. But you said that those monks foresaw Chase taking over. They used their magical artifact that knows everything in the universe. How can you compete with that?" Naomi asked.

"Don't be such a downer, Mama. Shen Gong Wu may be magical and powerful, but I'm not about to give up yet. I think it's worth a shot," Hitomi said.

Naomi frowned before sighing. "Do what you think is best. I'm not sure what the chances of this are. But, I do think that if anyone can change his mind, it's you."

Hitomi grinned. "Okay. This kid's growing fast. I crunched some numbers and if my math is right, then I probably won't last nine months," Hitomi said. It wasn't a joke. She was about three weeks ahead of the normal schedule. If this kept up, her baby would be born after seven months. "I've got a little over four months to change Chase's mind."

~:~

The line between good and evil had always been so easily drawn. Helping someone in need? Good. Stealing some else's property? Bad. Saving the world and all the innocent people in it? _Good._ Taking someone's life? _Bad._ But when did the lines get so blurred?

The monks at the Xiaolin Temple seemed almost evenly divided. Half were in favor of stopping Chase Young at _all_ costs. The other half were against the taking of a life. Even more so, they were against endangering the young woman who carried the child. The first half were less than sympathetic to the young mother's plight.

No one spoke their opinions out loud anymore. Rather than start a war amongst themselves, they all kept quiet and ignored the metaphorical herd of elephants that were in every room of the temple. Life went on, the four, elemental dragons continued to train and collect Shen Gong Wu but even a blind man could see the obvious tenseness that plagued the teens. The issue had even put a strain on the relationship between Master Fung, his students, and surprisingly Dojo. The dragon had sided with Omi and Raimundo while Master Fung had been much more accepting of Clay and Kimiko's viewpoint. This had made mealtimes immeasurably awkward. Nonetheless, Master Fung never held it against his students.

Omi was sure that he felt the most troubled by all of this. Just the fact that Chase Young had also been against the birth of the child... No matter how short the time Chase had held this view, it still happened. Just the fact that he found common ground with Chase Young of all people... If Chase wasn't so focused on world domination, he would surely still share Omi's point of view. That thought alone made Omi's skin crawl. That _last_ thing he wanted was to have anything in common with Chase Young.

But, had Chase been right? Was Omi more like Chase than he wanted to admit? Was he inherently _evil?_ No! _Never!_ He just wanted to protect the world. It was the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few. But if _Master Fung_ was against this... Maybe it deserved a second thought? No. There was no other option. Any child of Chase Young was destined to be evil. It and Chase _had_ to be stopped. But... Could he do that? Could any of them do what _needed_ to be done?

~:~

Hitomi took a deep breath before pushing open the doors before her. The bedroom was dark. Chase must have already gone to sleep. As quietly as she could, Hitomi tiptoed over to his bed before slowly placing a knee onto the mattress. "So, you've returned," she heard Chase's voice say quite clearly.

Hitomi released a breath she hadn't realized that she'd been holding. "Yes. I... Chase, I don't want to fight with you, but I don't want the world to be _destroyed."_

Chase stared at the wall as he laid on his side with his back to Hitomi. He didn't reply for some time. "In the past 1500 years, I had more than enough power to take over the planet. Hannibal and Wuya were locked away and the Xiaolin monks were nothing compared to me. And yet, I only sought to become stronger. I trained, proved my strength to others and built a reputation for myself. I would like to think of this as me attempting to once again gain strength as well as ensure that I leave behind a worthwhile legacy," Chase said.

" _Legacy_? Chase, you're immortal. Why are you talking as though you're dying?" Hitomi responded with a roll of her eyes.

"In peak condition, I am confident in my ability to defend myself and survive. But, as you've seen, I have enemies who would go to extreme lengths in order to dispatch me. And although I try not to think about it, my enemies are also yours because of the connection we share. If I am killed, you will be as well. If this child can ensure that I am able to become strong enough to lock away my enemies, then so be it."

"Your enemies... Does that include the monks?"

"I'm not concerned with them. There was a time that I thought that Omi would one day surpass me. But I don't see that happening now," Chase admitted.

"Chase, while I admire your devotion to protecting me and yourself, I don't want you using this baby as a means to an end. It's a living being. Not a tool for power," Hitomi said seriously.

Even though she couldn't see him clearly, she heard and felt Chase shifting before she felt his hand slip into hers. "How would you have me treat the child?"

"If it were up to me, we'd at least _attempt_ to be a normal family. As normal as we _can_ be anyways," Hitomi answered.

"Alright."

"Alright?" Hitomi repeated in a skeptical tone. That was _too_ easy. Chase wasn't the type to give in. He was like a dog with a bone when he wanted something.

"I can't promise that we'll be a _family_. But I can at least attempt to find another way to obtain the power I need. I'm willing to try for your sake," Chase clarified.

"Okay. I'll hold you to that," Hitomi replied before slipping under the covers. She kept her face passive, but her mind was buzzing. She'd give him a chance to prove himself, but she wasn't about to wholeheartedly trust him just yet. She did l- _adore_ Chase, but she was also growing to love her little baby. Her mother was probably right that she wouldn't be able to get too far away, but she would at least try. She wouldn't be a good mother if she didn't protect her kid from _all_ harm. Even if the threat came from its father.

Chase held Hitomi to him and closed his eyes. There wasn't any harm in at least _trying_ to find something else. Suddenly, Chase felt a small pulse in the fetus's aura- healthy and strong. The darkness that he'd first sensed had grown slightly. Chase smirked.


	21. Chapter 20

Chase frowned in displeasure at the sight before him. When he'd first drank the Lao Mang Lone soup, he'd struggled to control his beastly side. More than once, he'd caught himself hunting down an animal in cold blood before feeding on the meat raw. _Disgusting._ But, he'd been able to control those urges for centuries. Staring across the table, Chase wrinkled his nose in disgust. If only he could say the same for Hitomi. Hitomi seemed to be craving a wide array of meats lately. Today's special was deer. Thankfully, he'd been able to convince her to at least eat the meat medium rare. Yesterday, she'd actually asked if he had _hippo_ meat. He wasn't even sure how she knew what that tasted like to be able to specifically ask for it.

"That was better than I thought it would be," Hitomi said once she finished her meal.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Chase responded dryly.

"Yep!" Hitomi replied with a bright smile. After a few seconds, she sobered up to ask, "Chase, do you want a girl or a boy?"

"What difference does it make?"

"Well, we could either be having a sweet little girl or an _arrogant_ boy," Hitomi hinted.

"I hope you are not implying that the child would be able to take after you and still be considered _sweet,"_ Chase said with a smirk. He saw Hitomi roll her eyes at him, but she still waited for his answer. "Boy."

"But, what if it's a girl?"

"What difference does it make? She would still be my offspring. I only prefer a male child because I would be more comfortable raising a male," Chase answered.

"I see. I'm not sure which one I prefer. I wouldn't mind a little girl, but I wouldn't mind a little Chase. I think you were cute as a baby," Hitomi said. She saw Chase shoot her a glare before returning to his tea. Hitomi grinned. At least he was thinking of the child as a living being.

~:~

Wuya wanted to destroy something. Maybe she could rain some fire down on a small country or sink an island? Anything to relieve this stress! Chase was being uncharacteristically quiet since he had made an appearance weeks ago. He had nearly killed someone to get his hands on the _Indigo Pyramid_ of all Wu! But now, he was keeping to himself. Wuya couldn't remember the last time she'd felt like she was being watched. What was Chase planning?

"Why can't he just make his move already!?" Wuya exclaimed as she paced her throne room.

"Patience, Wuya. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you _want_ Chase to lock you away," Hannibal chuckled.

"Why are you so happy? Chase wants both of our heads," Wuya reminded him.

"Yes. But we have bigger problems right now. I had Ying Ying do a little job for me. There's something funky going on with those

monks," Hannibal explained.

"How funky?" Wuya questioned with a raised brow.

"I can't really explain it. It's as though they hate each other or somethin'. They're all tense," Hannibal said with a shrug.

"Maybe they have an idea as to what Chase is up to?"

"Good luck getting them to squeal. Ying Ying's been watching' them for _days_. No one's sayin' a word. Not even to each other," Hannibal said.

Wuya was about to reply when her body suddenly went stiff and her eyes started to glow. "A new Shen Gong Wu is revealing itself!It's the Pearl of LiBai," Wuya said before shrugging once. "Who needs the power to make someone babble poetry?"

"I'll take your word for it," Hannibal agreed. It did sound like a lame Wu.

"Hannibal, why don't you send Ying Ying to visit Chase Young now? If the monks know what he's up to, we need to move quickly so we're not left out of the loop," Wuya urged.

Hannibal frowned. Send Ying Ying into Chase's lair? Hannibal wasn't sure if Ying Ying would make it out of that unscathed. The thought of his precious subordinate being injured didn't sit well with him. Chase thought himself to be level-headed and in complete control of his emotions, but Hannibal knew better. The boy always did have a short temper and was easily aggravated. "I have a better idea. But, you'll have to put your trust in me, Wuya," Hannibal started. Wuya narrowed her gaze at him suspiciously.

~:~

She was _huge!_

No matter what Chase said, Hitomi was sure that she had grown twice her size _literally_ overnight. She couldn't fit in her old clothes anymore and had to resort to wearing the loosest of robes. This was getting ridiculous. That blasted book said that she had to be around half way through her pregnancy already. It had been less than four months! "You're growing too fast for me, Thumper," Hitomi said affectionately as she cradled her stomach while laying on Chase's bed. Her little one was already kicking softly. She had a little warrior practicing inside her. Sometimes, it felt like the kid was practicing its moves on her bladder. She had lost count of how many times she had inadvertently woken Chase up in the middle of the night when she had gotten up to go to the bathroom.

Deciding that she'd had enough of laying around for the day, Hitomi got out of bed and shuffled out of the bedroom. The palace was quiet when it was so empty. Chase had left a few jungle cats to act as security, but he'd taken the majority of them (including her mother) with him somewhere. He hadn't said where he was going, but he hadn't looked pleased when he'd left. Hitomi would ask him about it later.

What would she have for lunch? Maybe she could finish off the rest of her rabbit stew? That didn't sound too bad. In the middle of imagining her delicious stew, Hitomi felt a chill go down her spine. Pausing mid-step, she glanced around her warily. "Chase? Is that you?" she called out. When she didn't receive a response, Hitomi picked up her pace.

She was almost to the kitchen now. Her eyes kept glancing around her suspiciously. Her hand twitch at her side, ready to pull her chopsticks from her hair without a second of hesitation. Suddenly, she heard a soft whoosh behind her. Grabbing her chopsticks, Hitomi quickly transformed them into a sword and turned to face the intruder. It was...a _bird?_ The black, red, and grey falcon looked oddly familiar to her. Hitomi narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the bird while brandishing her crystal sword.

" _Woah! Woah! Easy_ there. We come in peace," another, masculine voice said. Hitomi's eyes widened when she spotted Hannibal Bean poking out from the feathers on the bird's head.

" _You,"_ Hitomi sneered. "Why are you here? And don't even _think_ about trying anything funny or I'll squash you like a bug."

"Easy!" Hannibal soothed. "You've been spending too much time with Chase," he said and glanced down at Hitomi's large stomach. " _Way_ too much time."

Hitomi placed a hand over her stomach defensively. "I don't care why you're here. Just leave before I _make_ you leave," Hitomi threatened.

"Calm down, Hitomi. I mean no harm. I may be evil, but I could never harm a woman when she's with child," Hannibal said.

"Let me guess. Wuya has no problem with it, however?" Hitomi questioned dryly, her eyes glancing around the hallway suspiciously.

"Wuya's not here. I sent her out on a little errand for me. And judging by the fact that Chase has yet to show up, I'd say that he's not here either," Hannibal hinted. He'd sent Wuya to the Land of Nowhere in order to distract Chase. As long as Wuya kept Chase occupied, Hannibal wouldn't have to worry about nearly losing his head.

"I don't need Chase to defend me. Pregnant or not, I could still kick your-"

"Hey! Settle down already. I didn't come for a fight. I just want to talk," Hannibal loudly interrupted the girl.

"What would I _possibly_ want to say to you?" Hitomi asked with a glare.

"I _was_ going to ask you how Chase was doing. But I see there's no need. I already know what all the fuss is about," Hannibal said and gestured to her stomach. Hitomi growled lowly before swiping her blade at Hannibal's small body with deadly accuracy. Hannibal cried out at the same time that Ying Ying flew out of the sword's path. "Girl, you're really trying my patience," Hannibal growled.

"And you've already used up all of mine," Hitomi said glared.

"You don't even know. Do you?" Hannibal tried. This wasn't working. He had to try a different tactic to get her to listen to him. When Hitomi didn't respond, Hannibal went on. "I can sense a darkness in the child, Hitomi. It's only natural. All humans are born tainted by darkness. But _your_ child? It's something mighty special. I mean, it _is_ Chase Young's baby."

Hitomi frowned. Hannibal was probably lying. Just because Chase was evil, it didn't mean that her baby would _have_ to be evil.

"I'm almost jealous that I didn't think of it first. Chase has ensured that he's got a faithful right-hand. Tell me. Are you going to side with the father of your child? I actually wouldn't mind having you on the side of evil," Hannibal suggested with a crooked grin.

"It's not enough that you turned Chase evil? You're going to try to do the same to me?" Hitomi huffed. "Give up. I may not be good, but I'm no where near as evil as _you_ are."

"You mean, as evil as _Chase_ is," Hannibal corrected. Hitomi glared harshly. "I don't doubt that. Even that child you carry has a soul darker than yours."

"I've heard enough from you!" Hitomi shouted and transformed the sword into a bow and arrow. She fired the arrow at Ying Ying's heart, but the bird dodged at the last second. Before she could notch another arrow, Ying Ying was swooping away.

"Mark my words, Hitomi! That child will grow darker by the day. I can only _imagine_ how much faster that will be after it's born and Chase can _really_ mold the youngin'," Hannibal Bean said with a low chuckle as he left the hallway. Hitomi could still hear his laughter trailing behind him as he left the palace altogether.

Softly placing a hand over her stomach, Hitomi frowned down at herself. "Everyone thinks that you're going to be evil, Thumper. I don't want them to be right. But what if they are?" she asked softly with tears gathering in her eyes.

~:~

Dragging her feet as she shuffled through her lair, Wuya tried her best to pat and run her fingers through her hair. Chase hadn't been in a particularly bad mood when he'd confronted her, but he had still felt it necessary to sick his jungle cats on her for trespassing. Some good for nothing panther had bitten her right on the rear! Wuya grumbled lowly when she approached the doors to her throne room. Hannibal better have some pretty good news after all she went through. Using her magic to force the large doors open, Wuya scanned the room for Hannibal.

"Wuya, you don't look so good," Hannibal said with a chuckle.

"Shut it before I shut it for you," Wuya growled at the bean before walking over to her throne.

"Then how am I supposed to tell you the good news?" Hannibal asked with a sly grin. Wuya raised a brow at him but didn't respond. "Chase hasn't been making himself stronger. The sneaky boy's gone and made himself an underling."

"That's what we were sensing? Chase roped some poor stooge into doing his bidding? Don't tell me it was Hitomi?" Wuya said with a roll of her eyes. That girl was pathetic.

"Not quite," Hannibal said with a grin. He decided not to beat around the bush. "She's _pregnant_ , Wuya."

Wuya's eyes widened as she sat up quickly. She'd been so exhausted before, but her energy was quickly returning now. " _Pregnant?_ Chase is going to be a _father?"_ Wuya asked incredulously.

"You better believe it. I could sense the darkness in the child as well as the strength of its chi. The kid's gonna be _powerful,"_ Hannibal said with a greedy grin.

"Are you thinking what I am?" Wuya asked as she frowned deeply.

"Obviously. We steal the child and raise it for our own evil plans," Hannibal said and rubbed his hands together devilishly.

Wuya stared down at Hannibal as if he had grown a second head. "What? _No!_ We need to get rid of the kid now before it's too late!" Wuya stressed.

"What!?" Hannibal balked. "Wuya, you can't be serious."

"If that kid becomes as powerful as you think it will, we'd be better off with it dead. You don't really think Chase will let us steal his kid and use it against him. Do you? It's better that we just end its existence now. We'll be doing it a favor if you ask me," Wuya said and folded her arms over her chest.

"Now I may be evil incarnate, but I'm not about to kill an unborn child, Wuya," Hannibal said and narrowed his gaze. "The child is more useful alive than dead. It'll be on our side no matter what. We should take advantage of-"

"It won't be on _our_ side! It will be on _Chase's!"_ Wuya stressed. It may be evil, but Chase Young only fought for himself. It would be foolish to hope for solidarity amongst them all to suddenly manifest now. "If you can't do what has to be done, fine. I'll do it. Just distract Chase long enough and I'll take care of the problem," Wuya said and used her magic to manifest a sharp dagger.

Hannibal's eyes widened before he shook his head. "You want to throw away such a good opportunity," Hannibal lamented.

"Oh _please_. This is just you trying to get the subordinate you were denied. Chase betrayed you so now you want to try to kidnap his kid. It's pretty pathetic if you ask me," Wuya shrugged.

"I didn't _ask_ you," Hannibal growled. Straightening his back, Hannibal hopped over to Ying Ying and jumped onto her back. "It's obvious that we have different views. I think it's best we go our separate ways."

"Suit yourself. With or without you, I'll cut the child out of her womb if I have to," Wuya promised and folded her arms over her chest. Sharing a final, nasty look, Hannibal flew away on Ying Ying's back with Wuya watching him go. She wasn't sure how she would get close enough to Hitomi to enact her plans, but she'd find a way.


	22. Chapter 21

Moi-Moi: Bit of a time skip in this chapter. Just giving you guys a heads up. ALSO! I am in NO way a professional on childbirth. I've never been pregnant so I've tried to do a lot of research on the topic to try to be as accurate as possible.

Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanzaa to all!

~:~

The amount of stress that she was under wasn't healthy. Fortunately, it wasn't the pregnancy that was stressing Hitomi out. It was Chase's cryptic warnings than had her constantly on edge. Her pregnancy had drawn a hypothetical line between everyone who knew about it. Chase had warned her not to trust _anyone_. For one reason or another, no one outside of them could be trusted with the safety of their child.

Now that she was incapable of defending herself any longer, Chase had taken to spending nearly every waking moment with her. It had annoyed her at first, but then the nightmares had set it. They would haunt her even while she was awake. Hannibal Bean had been able to get in when Chase wasn't around. What if he came back, but with Wuya? Since she couldn't even touch her toes anymore, Hitomi had willingly pushed her annoyance at being babysat aside and accepted Chase's overprotectiveness.

"Why can't this kid hurry it up?" Hitomi griped as she waddled- yes, _waddled-_ out of the bathroom.

"They'll know when they are ready to be born," Chase replied as he watched Hitomi move back over to the bed.

"You'd be frustrated too if you gained a bunch of weight and went from walking normally to waddling like a penguin overnight," Hitomi moaned miserably while sitting on the bed.

Chase watched Hitomi slump sadly before furrowing his brows. Her mood swings were the most unpredictable thing he'd come across. Half an hour ago, she had been excitedly cooing at a picture of baby clothes. Now, he could sense the sadness rolling off her in waves. Approaching her cautiously (he'd once approached her too quickly and she'd nearly taken his head off with those chopsticks of hers), Chase released a breath while thinking of the best course of action. He decided to rest a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not _fair!_ My feet and back _always_ hurt. I don't even remember drinking _half_ the amount of water I'm peeing. All these cramps are _killing_ me. And the worst part is, I'm _terrified,"_ Hitomi said while sniffling.

Acting quickly, Chase pulled out the handkerchief he now kept on him at all times. Hitomi took the small cloth from him before burying her face in it. "Why are you terrified? I've already told you that no one will harm you while-"

"That's not it!" Hitomi exclaimed. "I appreciate the effort, Chase. I _really_ do. But, it doesn't change the fact that dozens of people want our baby dead. I could go into labor any day now and I have no idea how I'm supposed to deal with that much less how to be a _mom_."

Chase's jaw clenched and unclenched several times before he sighed. He sat next to Hitomi before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He tensed slightly with she sniffled loudly again while practically collapsing against his side. Relaxing his posture, Chase said, "I have faith in your abilities."

"You're just saying that because you want me to stop crying on you," she mumbled miserably into his side.

She wasn't completely wrong. Trying again, Chase said, "I've seen you holding your stomach and talking to the child. I've heard what you've said to it. If you hadn't told me about your worries, I would have continued thinking that you were fully equipped to be a mother."

"Talking to my stomach is easy compared to what's coming," Hitomi argued.

"I've never known you to give up," Chase chided. He nearly sighed in relief when he heard Hitomi chuckle. "No one is ever really prepared for parenthood. But, I have faith in your abilities."

"What about you?" Hitomi questioned and lifted her head. Her reddened eyes no longer held tears, but she was confused. "Don't you have faith in yourself?"

Chase frowned deeply while staring down at the floors. He was instantly lost in his memories. "I have no memories of my father. My mother died while I was young. If I hadn't trained under Dashi, I would have most likely died long before Hannibal Bean could have found me," Chase admitted.

Hitomi's eyes widened before she started to tear up again. "I'm so sorry. I never would have thought..." she said before hugging Chase tightly.

Chase had been slightly surprised when she had suddenly squeezed him with soft sniffles. What had he said to upset her _this_ time? Chase was about to ask her, but he stopped when he felt her crawl onto his lap and wrap her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her steady, but nearly dropped her when he felt her patting his head. "What are you _doing?"_ Chase questioned in an incredulous tone.

"Comforting you. I had no idea that you were an orphan," Hitomi replied while patting his head and rubbing his back.

Chase nearly rolled his eyes. "It was a long time ago. I'm over it," he told her.

"I can't tell you how many times I wished I had someone to hold me after I lost my mother."

Chase didn't respond to that. He didn't feel anything when he thought about his mother. He'd gotten over the death centuries ago. He barely remembered what she looked like anymore. But if letting her stroke his head made her happy, Chase would let Hitomi have her moment. Holding her close, Chase buried his nose in her hair. He'd been completely immersed in her sweet scent (what kind of flower is that?) when he felt a wetness on his lap. Freezing up, Chase wasn't sure how to respond to Hitomi's sudden loss of bladder control. He'd been about to say something- _anything-_ when Hitomi suddenly gripped his shoulders tightly and hunched forward. Chase pulled away to observe her only to see that Hitomi's face was contorted in discomfort. "What is it?" Chase asked in concern.

Once she was finally able to speak, Hitomi said in a soft voice, "I thought it was cramps. But I don't think it is."

"What's wrong?" Chase questioned, now highly concerned.

"Nothing. Just... I think I'm going into labor now."

~:~

Wuya eyed the Xiaolin Temple for several seconds from where she was hidden behind a tree. There was no one around. It was so quiet that it looked like the temple had been abandoned. But Wuya knew better. The monks were probably holed up somewhere inside, waiting out the storm that was currently brewing.

Wuya had awoken this morning with a start. The hairs on the back of her neck had stood on end and she was covered in a cold sweat. She'd even lost control of her magic and accidentally summoned up several rock creatures around her palace. She'd tried to calm down, but her feelings of unease had only gotten worse as the day went on. Wuya hadn't been feeling rather peaceful lately, but today had been the worst. She had gotten such a _foreboding_ feeling. It was like warning bells in her head that were screaming about the threat of danger. She'd only felt this way once before- the day that Dashi had locked her away.

Glancing upwards, Wuya could see the dark clouds beginning to roll in overhead. She had to act now. For months, she hadn't been able to get close to Hitomi. Chase's jungle cats had stopped her at every turn. They'd even maimed her several times! Still, Wuya felt slightly fortunate that she hadn't yet run into Chase... Slipping out from behind her tree, Wuya made sure that the dagger in her sleeve was secured before leaping over the wall of the temple. She would have to get some Wu before she tried again...

~:~

"Young monks, I fear the moment we have anticipated has arrived," Master Fung started. His students all watched him with deep frowns before exchanging worried glances with each other. They had been in the middle of a tense lunch when Master Fung had spoken.

"I can already feel the darkness that has begun to spread," Omi said.

"You are correct, Omi. The world has been threatened several times before. Do not lose hope, young monks. Good always triumphs over evil," Master Fung said.

"I hope you're right, Master Fung," Raimundo replied with a heavy sigh.

Suddenly, the alarm for the vault blared loudly around the temple. Everyone stood up at once before dashing out of the room, their meal forgotten. Upon reaching the courtyard where the entrance to the vault was kept, the monks stopped at the sight of several other monks facing Wuya defensively.

"I do not know what business you have with us, Wuya-" Master Fung started in a brave tone.

"I didn't come for any of _you._ I came to borrow some Wu. If you don't mind," Wuya said while summoning a few rock creatures with a wave of her hand. "I've got business to take care of."

" _Stop her!"_

Everyone paused at the sound of a new voice. Looking around at each other in confusion, all of the monks were surprised to see that none of them had spoken.

"Stop that witch!" Hannibal Bean shouted down from where Ying Ying was now circling overhead.

"Is this some kind of trick or something?" Raimundo asked skeptically. "Aren't you two working together."

"Not anymore. That witch _can't_ be trusted," Hannibal said as Ying Ying landed near the monks.

"Oh. Right. Look who's talking," Wuya responded with a roll of her eyes.

"There ain't no honor among thieves," Clay said with a disbelieving scoff.

" _She's_ the real enemy! She wants to use the Shen Gong Wu to kill an unborn baby!" Hannibal accused. Knowing the monks, they'd easily attack Wuya with everything they had. Because it was the _right_ thing to do. No one likes a _murderer._

"Wait a second. You mean Hitomi's baby? Wuya wants to kill it? _Why?"_ Kimiko asked.

"Cause she's _evil,"_ Hannibal replied as if he were speaking to a three-year-old.

"I'm doing what is necessary! Don't act like that demon spawn won't be the end of all of us! Good or evil. It doesn't matter. It's Chase against everyone else," Wuya shouted with a harsh glare.

"No good will come of this. Mark my word. You think Chase will roll over and let you do what you want?" Hannibal scoffed. Wuya didn't have a reply for that. The idea of facing Chase alone didn't appeal to her, but what choice did she have?

"Guys, I know you don't agree, but we have to do _something._ It's like Wuya said. It's Chase against all of us. We can't risk the safety of the whole world," Raimundo said to Clay and Kimiko.

"Raimundo is right. He is our leader and I am siding with him," Omi declared.

"We're not startin' this again, pardner."

"Rai, we can't."

Hannibal balked. "What kind of monks are you!? You'd really _kill_ that child!?" Hannibal exclaimed.

"If it is necessary to save the world," Omi responded in a serious tone.

"Don't listen to the cueball. He won't do it. None of them _can_ do it. They're too _noble,_ " Wuya interjected. "But, _I_ can. If you can get me close enough, I'll take care of the problem."

"Now, wait just a minute there," Clay interjected.

"There's no time to wait!" Wuya shouted. "Look above you! It's already started! Like a prophecy coming true right in front of us, the darkness is spreading faster than anyone could have predicted."

The monks looked up at the storm clouds that were slowly covering up the sun. A chilly breeze blew across their feet and scattered some fallen leaves around. A flock of birds quickly flew by at a frantic pace as if they were fleeing from something. The monks exchanged a few looks.

"You don't want to kill the kid, but none of you can offer a good solution for how to fix this mess," Wuya sneered. "You won't be able to let it grow up and hope it doesn't turn out evil. It already _is._ You won't be able to raise it as your own. There's only _one_ option. If you don't want to get your hands dirty, fine. The _least_ you can do is keep Chase and his kittens busy."

Everyone exchanged more wary glances. "I... I never thought I would see the day that I would consider siding with the forces of evil," Omi said quietly.

"I believe that this is what they call a necessary evil," Hannibal said.

"What do you guys say?" Raimundo asked Clay and Kimiko.

"I still don't like this," Clay argued. "But, I'll hate it even more if I don't do somethin'."

"I agree. We have to at least stop Chase. We haven't been able to beat him before, but that can't stop us now," Kimiko said.

Raimundo nodded once before facing Wuya. The witch approached him with a smug smirk while Hannibal hesitantly approached as well. Raimundo offered his hand and Wuya immediately took it. "We'll work together this _one_ time. But, this doesn't mean we trust either of you," Raimundo said.

"The feeling's mutual," Wuya agreed. They both turned to Hannibal expectantly.

After releasing a low groan of disgust, he hopped onto their joined hands and placed his root-like hand on top of theirs. "I'll do what I can. I trust the monks more than I trust Wuya. She'd stab you in the back just to save her own hide," Hannibal grumbled. Wuya rolled her eyes.

"Listen up. I've got a plan," Raimundo started in a serious tone.


	23. Chapter 22

Moi-Moi: Over 2000 views from and Wattpad in total. Personally, I am just stunned. What a great Christmas gift from you guys to me. :') So, I want to thank everyone who has viewed this story. Every reader is important to me. I love it even more when I can match names to my readers because I've read their comments and maybe even replied to them. Let's start the chapter.

~:~

Jack pushed his goggles up onto his head as he pulled away from his bot and turned off his blowtorch. He observed his handiwork before reaching over to grab half of the bologna sandwich that he'd made for his lunch. These upgrades were taking longer than he'd planned. How was he supposed to be a serious threat if he couldn't even finish building his army of bots!? Moving back over to the blueprints, Jack examined them critically and took a bite from his sandwich. "I should probably install the processors in the limbs now before I finish putting on the exoskeleton," Jack mumbled to himself.

Polishing off the rest of his sandwich, Jack collected the boxes of processors that he'd ordered and approached his newest model of Jack-bot. While mid-step, a loud alarm blared throughout his lair and nearly sent Jack to the hospital with a heart attack. Once he'd stopped screaming fearfully, Jack turned to face the large monitor in the room. "What's up with those Xiaolin losers now?" he questioned and observed. "Huh... Is that Wuya breaking into the vault?" Jack asked no one as he leaned in to get a better look. He had sensors set up just to notify him of whenever someone was robbing the monks of their Wu (he had to keep track of who had which Wu!). The monks caught Wuya before she could even break in.

"What are they talking about?" Jack asked with a frown. Why hadn't he gone for cameras that could detect sound!? Oh, right. He'd been on a budget and needed the money for his new line of Jack-bots.

"That's Hannibal Bean!" Jack shouted. What was going on!? Was Chase going to show up next!? Was there some sort of good versus evil clash going on right now? Why was he always the last to know these things!? "Wait a minute. Hang on. They aren't fighting," Jack muttered. They were _shaking hands_?

"That doesn't make sense. Why would the monks team up with Wuya and Hannibal? Are they working together now? Geez! You can't trust anyone anymore!" Jack lamented. But... Chase wasn't with them...

"What am I missing? Something big must be happening for the monks to team up with Wuya and Hannibal. And I'll bet it has something to do with Chase..." Jack mused and stroked his chin in thought. If everyone is teaming up, there must be something big going on. "I'd rather die than work with those Xiaolin losers. And if they're working with Wuya and Hannibal and not Chase, then I know who I'm working with," Jack said with a low chuckle.

Granted, Jack never trusted anyone. Not even Chase Young was deserving of his complete trust. Chase was evil. You couldn't trust an evil doer. He'd side with Chase and maybe the immortal boy would want to team up again in the future? Maybe they could be on friendlier terms when this was all over? Then again, Chase had freaked out on Jack the last time he'd visited Chase's home. Maybe it would be best to not team up with anyone this time? "It's better to fight smart anyways. I'll just watch from the side and if I see an opportunity, I'll take it," Jack said. Quickly returning to his bots, Jack rushed through the last bit of upgrades on his Regenerating Jack-Bot. He'd need all the fire power he could get.

~:~

Chase stood back and acted as nothing more than an observer in his own chambers. Some of his jungle cats had been returned to their human forms and were now scurrying about the room like chickens with their heads cut off. Slightly damp and extremely frightened, Hitomi laid on the bed. Her eyes jumped around the room before landing on her mother who was standing next to her or on Chase who was standing on the other side of the bed. "Are you _sure_ they know what they're doing?" Hitomi asked Chase in a nervous voice.

"Many of the female warriors were mid-wives in their villages before they pledged their loyalties to me. Collectively, they have delivered hundreds of babies," Chase answered.

"...But never any half-magical babies?" Hitomi guessed.

"There's a first time for everything," Chase replied. Hitomi rolled her eyes at him, but still reached out her hand for him. Crawling over the edge of the wide bed, Chase took a seat next to her before taking her hand. He exchanged a look with Naomi.

He'd waited several months for this moment. His patience was about to be rewarded. His future and rule on this planet would be cemented. His quest for power and an unchallenged dominion were finally coming to an end. Sparing Hitomi's face a glance, he frowned. He knew that she had been wary of him for some time, but she seemed to trust him now. But, she had no idea what he was planning. She wouldn't be able to understand. Maybe she didn't have to understand? As long as he could convince her to stay with him, that is. Ruling with another had never been the plan and it still wasn't. But, she had changed him.

He'd once lamented over her changing him into a weaker man- a man with feelings for her. Just the thought of losing her nearly sent him out of his mind. He'd wanted to hate her for doing this to him- for making him weak to her and vulnerable to his enemies. But, now? He was still weak to her. He had already accepted that he would always be. But she was already giving him a way to make himself stronger. This child would ensure that. Maybe she could help him one more time afterwards?

Just as Chase was about to broach the topic to Hitomi, he felt the intrusion of several persons into his home. Growling lowly, Chase stood from the bed. "We have intruders. They want to make a final stand," Chase growled in anger and frustration.

"The monks or..." Hitomi trailed off worriedly.

"Everyone. They would fight against each other on normal situations, but now they're coordinating their attack," Chase replied. He turned to face Hitomi. "I will take the jungle cats to hold them off. You will leave with your mother."

"And go _where_?" Hitomi asked as she tried to pull herself into a sitting position. The mid-wives around her were all changing back to their feline forms with low growls.

"Anywhere," Chase answered and helped her get off the bed. Naomi supported her daughter with an arm wrapped around her side while Chase kicked his bed away. He approached a large, ring-shaped hatch made of stone and pulled it open. "I can sense the monks, Wuya, and Hannibal in the palace, but they aren't together. You're better off away from here," Chase said.

"How many trapdoors do you have in this place?" Hitomi questioned incredulously. Chase rolled his eyes at her before gesturing for her to leave. With her mother's help, Hitomi went over to the giant hole in the floor that lead down a winding staircase. Before taking the first step, Hitomi placed both hands onto Chase's cheeks and gave him a deep kiss. Pulling away, she said, "Immortal or not, don't you die on me. I still need you." After a few seconds, she corrected herself. "We _both_ need you," she said and placed a hand on her stomach.

Chase pulled an unlit torch from off the wall of the tunnel and easily lit it with his blue, Heylin fire. He handed the torch to Naomi. "I'll find you when this is over. Stay with your mother and don't do anything foolish," Chase warned Hitomi.

Hitomi scoffed as she started descending the dark stairs. " _Foolish._ Do you hear how he treats me like a child, mama? I've done some questionable things lately, like have a 1500 year old narcissist's baby. But nothing _too_ stupid," Hitomi said as she slowly descended the stairs with her mother right behind her lighting the way.

"He's just worried about you. It's how he shows that he cares," Naomi replied with a chuckle.

Chase rolled his eyes at Hitomi's giggle. Once he could no longer see them, Chase shut and locked the hatch before returning the bed to its place. With a loud roar, Chase shifted to his larger, reptilian form. To his jungle cats he said, "Let's go welcome our visitors."

~:~

The four monks-in-training cautiously entered the sparring arena of Chase's citadel while looking all around them. "How do we know that Chase is even here?" Kimiko whispered. "Maybe he sensed us coming and took off."

"I doubt it. Chase Young does not run away," Omi replied.

"You are right, young monk."

Like a cold weight had dropped into their stomachs, the monks froze up with the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end. Looking before them, they could see Chase entering the room in his reptilian form with his jungle cats closing in on all sides. The monks took on defensive stances.

"You've broken into my home yet again. While I appreciate the efforts you went through to use the _door_ for once, that won't save you," Chase said.

"Chase Young, we have not come to reason with you this time. We have come to hand you a most humiliating defeat!" Omi declared.

"Do you honestly believe that you can defeat me?" Chase replied with a growl. When the monks didn't answer, he reared his head back in laughter. "Let me guess. _You're_ the distraction?" Chase asked before snapping his fingers. Suddenly, two, female lions entered the room. One nudged Wuya along while growling lowly and the other spat out a soggy bean.

" _Disgustin'!"_ Hannibal exclaimed and tried to brush the saliva from his body.

"Obviously, your half-baked plan has failed," Chase taunted.

"Or is everything going according to plan?" Raimundo replied with a smirk.

Chase frowned deeply. What was that fool talking about? Did they really believe that they could beat him with _teamwork?_ "I've been kind enough to allow you all to leave with your lives before. Unfortunately for you, I've run out of kindness," Chase said and snapped his fingers. At once, all the jungle cats pounced.

While his jungle cats kept the monks busy, Chase exchanged blows with Wuya. "It's not too late for you to run and hide, Wuya. If you're lucky, you might be able to survive for a few months," Chase taunted.

With an irritated glare, Wuya charged her hands with her flaming, Heylin magic. She made two swipes at Chase's face with her hands much like an agitated cat. Chase easily dodged the attack before firing a punch to her mid-section. While Wuya was doubled over, he gripped her arm and sent her flying into the wall.

" _Moby Morpher!"_

Chase turned to face the enlarged Hannibal Bean with a low growl. "Tell me something, Chase. Does little Hitomi know what your _real_ intentions are for your little bundle o' joy?" Hannibal questioned before sprouting four more arms along his sides. He struck at Chase with lighting fast swipes, his arms moving like snakes.

"It scares you. Doesn't it, Hannibal? How much stronger I'll be than you. This wasn't what you had in mind when you first gave me the Lao Mang Lone Soup. In your own way, you made all this possible," Chase chuckled and used his claws to slice the extra arms from Hannibal's body. Hannibal cried out in a furious outrage while backing away from Chase. "I'm about to cement my role as the strongest warrior on the planet as well as ruler of this planet. You can't stop me."

"Chase Young, you have much to learn about humility!" Omi declared and leapt at Chase.

"Chase has always had a big head under all that girly hair," Hannibal grumbled angrily before teaming up with Omi to take Chase on.

Wuya slid along the wall as she carefully observed the mayhem before her. The monks were being annihilated by the jungle cats while Omi and Hannibal were only slightly better off. When she was sure that none of the jungle cats or Chase were paying attention, she slipped out of the room. Running through the empty halls, Wuya kicked open every door that she came across. Where would she be hiding? There were so many rooms in this palace! ...Maybe it was better to ask where Chase would hide her? Immediately, Wuya took off for Chase's bedroom.

~:~

At first, Jack had every intention of entering Chase's home to see what was going on. But, then he'd heard the sounds of fighting and vicious growls. When a loud roar had ripped through the palace and shook the walls, Jack had decided that his skills would be better suited for espionage from a safe distance. Not that he couldn't handle a fight with the rest of them! It was just better to fight smart. Yeah...

Hanging from one of the stone archways at the top of the room, Jack's eyes widened at the fight happening below him. Chase and his jungle cats were fighting the monks and Hannibal Bean. Where was Wuya? Maybe she ran off. Jack would have run off too if he had to fight Chase Young when he looked so scary- Well, not _run away_... Jack would have tactfully retreated. (There's a difference!)

"What are they even fighting about?" Jack whispered. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew by and threatened to dislodge Jack from where he was hanging on the wall. Stifling the scream that begged to be released, Jack held on for dear life. What was up with this weather lately!? Even inside this mountain, the rough winds were able to get in. It almost looked like Armageddon was happening right in front of his eyes. Shivering slightly, Jack reached into his coat for the remote to his ship. He wasn't about to go in there and he couldn't stay out here. Before Jack could summon up his ship, another gust of wind dislodged him from where he was hanging against the wall. As he fell, Jack did a combination of screaming for his life and activating his jet pack. Once his jet pack was on and keeping him mid-air, Jack let out a relieved sigh. "I'm getting out of here while I still can," Jack decided before flying back out of Chase's lair.

~:~

Hitomi panted loudly as she leaned on her mother for support. With one hand clutching her stomach and her other arm around her mother's waist, she hobbled slowly through the forests at the foot of the mountain. When yet another contraction hit, Hitomi nearly fell to her knees. "Stop. Stop. I can't. I can't keep walking," Hitomi said between heavy pants.

"We'll have to stop here then. Come. You can rest against this tree," Naomi said and helped Hitomi sit at the base of a thick tree.

"I'm not sure how I feel about having my baby in the same forest I was nearly killed in," Hitomi said.

"I don't think this is something you'll be able to change, sweetheart. This baby looks like it's in a rush," Hitomi said with a frown while helping Hitomi get into a more comfortable position.

"Do you... Do you think Chase is alright?" Hitomi asked.

"You're about to give birth and you're asking if the father is alright," Naomi chuckled. "I'm sure that he's fine. You need to focus on you right now."

"Okay," Hitomi said and tried to take deep breaths. She'd barely done anything to exert herself, but she was already covered in sweat. With the back of her head resting on the tree trunk, Hitomi felt like crying. This was really happening. She was about to give birth in a forest with a crazy storm raging around her. She nearly jumped with she heard the sound of a tree not too far away splintering before it fell with a mighty thud. Releasing a shaky breath, Hitomi tried to reign in the tears. She really wanted Chase at her side right now...

"Who are you?" Hitomi heard her mother question suspiciously.

Cracking her blurry eyes open, Hitomi observed who had appeared. It took several seconds to be sure, but she could identify the person. "What are you doing here? Did Chase send you?" Hitomi asked. It was the monk who had saved her from Wuya and Hannibal in this very forest. Chase had said that his name was Monk Guan.

"No. He did not," Guan replied.

Naomi watched the man suspiciously. He tried to appear casual, but she could see the slight tense of his muscles. His hand was gripping a spear so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Naomi stood slowly and positioned herself between the two. The man narrowed his gaze at her.

"Mama?" Hitomi questioned.

"I don't know how you know this man, but he is not to be trusted," Naomi said and took on a defensive stance. "And if he is wise, he will leave _now."_

"I am afraid I cannot do that. I took a vow to fight evil wherever it may exist," Guns replied and brandished his Spear of Guan.

"You'd kill me and my baby?" Hitomi asked as her eyes misted again.

Guan's jaw clenched. "Not you. But that infant..." Guan trailed off. He hadn't even known about the child that spelled the end of the world until a few hours ago. He'd been surprised when the four Xiaolin Dragons had shown up at his temple with Wuya and Hannibal Bean to ask him to help them stop Chase Young's evil plan. He was their ace in the hole- an insurance policy just in case Chase had been able to get Hitomi out before Wuya could find her. While Guan did not agree with harming Hitomi or any unborn child, he also

would not allow Chase to destroy the world.

Hitomi glared at him. "You're lucky I can't kick your butt for what you just said."

"Hitomi, make yourself scarce. I'll handle him," Naomi said before swinging her leg at Guan's head. He leaned backwards to dodge the attack before reaching out with his fist.

Hitomi watched her mother grab Guan's extended arm before bringing her knee up to strike him in the gut. At her mother's urgent look, Hitomi attempted to pull herself up from the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Guan reaching for her, but her mother was quick to pull him back by the neck. Hobbling once again, Hitomi speed-walked through the forest and away from the dueling pair. Was _everyone_ she knew after her!?

After about ten minutes of running as fast as her body would allow, Hitomi felt another contraction hit her. Resting her sweat-drenched back against a tree trunk, Hitomi did her best not to scream. The last thing she needed was to alert anyone _else_ who could be hunting her down in these woods.

Almost a minute had gone by before the contraction had passed. "I can't do this... I can't do this... I can't _do_ this," Hitomi whispered to herself as she hunched over. She froze up when she heard the sounds of a jet engine above her. "Not now. _Please_ not now," Hitomi begged. In the middle of trying to remain hidden under her tree, Hitomi heard the jet engine whine loudly before she heard the sounds of tree branches cracking and something exploding.

What was it _now!?_ Sliding down the rough tree bark, Hitomi came to rest on the forest floor again. Pulling her chopsticks from her hair, she changed them into a sword and waited. She was really going to do this. She was going to try to fight someone while she was in labor. When a powerful contraction hit, Hitomi couldn't hold back a loud, pained groan.

" _Who's there!?"_

Maybe the loud winds around her were messing with her hearing. That almost sounded like Jack Spicer.

" _Come out now! I know karate!"_

Hitomi rolled her eyes. After several seconds, she could hear the rustling of some bushes to her right. When Jack pushed through the foliage and their eyes met, Hitomi shot him a warning glare. "Hitomi? What are you doing out here? Why do you look so..." Jack trailed off as he took in her mussed hair, sweaty clothes and... large belly? Wait a second...

"I don't care who sent you or what you're planning, don't think I won't fight you if I have to," Hitomi said and brandished her sword.

"Hey! Take it easy! I didn't even know you were out here. My ship just crashed cause of this freaky weather," Jack explained. His eyes kept going down to Hitomi's belly. "Are you..." he asked and weakly pointed to her belly.

Hitomi rolled her eyes and dropped her sword. "No, Jack. I'm hiding a pillow under my robes for fun," Hitomi answered sarcastically.

"Hey. No need to get snippy. I was just..." Jack trailed off when Hitomi suddenly hunched forward while screaming and clutching her stomach. "...asking," Jack squeaked and swallowed thickly. Looking around with wide eyes, Jack scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, I should probably go. You look pretty busy."

"No!" Hitomi cried out and reached out for Jack. "Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone right now. _Please,_ Jack," she pleaded. She hadn't trusted him moments ago. But any company would be better than being alone. Besides, Jack didn't seem to harbor any hate towards her baby.

"You can't be _serious_!?" Jack balked.

"Chase is fighting all of his enemies at once. My mother is risking her life to fight off someone who saved my life only months ago. I've been running through this forest for _hours._ I'm literally about to give birth on a pile of dirty leaves in the middle of a hurricane. I'd like to at least not be alone," Hitomi said and offered Jack her hand again.

"This really sounds like a _you_ problem..."

Hitomi surprised herself with how much she sounded like Chase when she growled at Jack. "If you _dare_ leave me, I will hunt you down and do unspeakable things to you. If that's not enough, you'd still have Chase to answer to. You can tell him all about how you left me to give birth to his child by myself," Hitomi threatened.

"It's _Chase's_ baby? W-why didn't you say so? S-sure, I'll stay with you," Jack replied and swallowed again. With hesitant movements, Jack approached Hitomi and kneeled at her side. "My ship is totaled. I can't get you out of here."

"Whatever. Just let me hold your hand," Hitomi replied.

"You want to hold hands _now_?" Jack asked with a light pink blush. When Hitomi offered him her hand, he cleared his throat before taking her hand in his. _Huge_ mistake. Jack screamed louder than Hitomi did when another contraction hit her. "You're hurting me!" Jack shouted.

"I'm _so_ sorry!" Hitomi shouted sarcastically. "But, your pain isn't a top priority of mine right now, Jack," Hitomi said. Jack was about to argue, but stopped when Hitomi cut him off. "Now. The baby's coming now!"

" _What!?_ Can't you wait just a little bit longer!? At least wait until Chase shows up or something!" Jack shouted fearfully.

"I can't. I have to push."

Jack's eyes widened in pure terror. Hitomi looked like she was in more pain than he'd seen one person go through. He couldn't even feel his hand anymore with how tightly she was squeezing it. When Hitomi screamed again, Jack felt his eyes roll to the back of his head. This was too much for him. What had he gotten himself into!?

~:~

Chase didn't even need to fight anymore. His opponents were all looking worse for wear and completely drained. The monks were bruised and slightly bloody, but they continued to get back up to fight. Wuya and Hannibal had disappeared some time ago like the cowards that they were. Honestly, Chase hadn't expected that from Hannibal. The bean could be rather relentless when he was ready. Chase could hear the monks whispering to each other from across the room. " _Raimundo, I don't think I can keep fighting."_

" _I know, Kimiko. But we have to stick to the plan."_

" _We have to give Master Monk Guan and the others a chance,"_ Omi had whispered.

Chase froze. They'd enlisted Guan to help them? Chase nearly saw red. They weren't trying to _defeat_ him. They had been distracting him! Wuya and Hannibal were probably out looking for Hitomi right now! With a loud roar of frustration, Chase commanded, "Finish them!" to his jungle cats before running from the room on all fours.

He could sense the presence of several in the forest around his home. To the east was Hannibal Bean. Wuya was towards the south. But to the north, Chase could sense several people in close proximity to each other. Pinpointing which one was Hitomi, Chase quickly summoned a bolt of lightning from the sky. He was able to teleport to her location within seconds, a threatening look on his face. Before he could ward off anyone who might be near, Chase felt something smack his face. With a stunned expression, Chase glanced down at what hit him. A sandal?

" _Shh,"_ Hitomi hissed as him while clutching a bundle of black fabric to her chest. "You couldn't have found a quieter way to show up?" Hitomi whispered. The storm had _finally_ calmed moments ago. She didn't need anymore loud sounds scaring the baby.

Chase reverted back to his human form and observed her. She looked exhausted, dirty, soaked, but happy. The bundle in her arms was twitching slightly and making soft, cooing noises. Chase's eyes went to the only other person nearby. He raised a brow at Jack Spicer's unconscious and half-naked form.

"He fainted the second I started to push," Hitomi answered. "I figured he wouldn't mind if I borrowed his coat to wrap the baby."

Chase nearly cringed at the sight of Jack's red and white polka dot boxers and pale, hairy legs. Hitomi watched him before laughing lightly. "Don't just stand there. Come say hello to your daughter," Hitomi invited.

Daughter? Moving slowly, Chase approached Hitomi before kneeling at her side. Staring down at the bundle in her arms, Chase could see a round face that held a small pair of pink lips, tiny nose, and a familiar pair of amber eyes with round pupils. Fine, black hair covered her head. "We still have to name her," Hitomi reminded.

Chase stared down at the infant for several more seconds. While he stared at her, she stared back at him. Eventually growing tired of their staring match, the infant let out a large yawn before delicately shutting her eyes. Chase gave a small smile. "I want to name her Yanagi," Chase replied.

"I think I like that name," she agreed.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Yanagi means "willow" in Japanese. I know I said that I didn't watch Chronicles because I hated it after one episode. That wasn't a lie. This will be the only reference to Chronicles that I felt was appropriate. I thought about naming the baby "shadow" in Japanese, but "Kage" isn't _nearly_ as pretty as "Yanagi".


	24. Chapter 23

Moi-Moi: This will be a kind of fillery chapter, but still feel free to read. :)

~:~

When he finally came to, Jack rested a hand to his head as he groaned. He cracked his eyes open and blinked rapidly to clear his blurry vision. Once he was finally able to see, Jack sat up slowly and took in his surroundings. He was in a bed? A pretty soft one too. Tentatively bouncing on the mattress a bit, Jack looked around the room. It looked like a bedroom but it was bare of any personal touches. It was probably someone's guest room. But whose?

Rising from the bed, Jack finally noticed how chilly he felt. "Where's my coat!?" he cried out when he looked down at himself. Who had kid napped him and stolen his clothes!? Looking around the room, Jack spotted a pair of pants on the bedspread. With a suspicious expression, he grabbed the pants and slipped them on.

Outside the bedroom was a long, dark hallway. Left or right? His instincts were telling him to go left. But before Jack could take a single step, he heard low growls. Freezing in place, Jack turned behind him. "Jungle cats? You must be Chase's," Jack said to the growling panther and tiger that had cornered him. "Have I mentioned how much Chase sees me as a friend? More like a brother really!" Jack said as he backed away slowly. He had only gotten a few steps when the panther leapt at him. Jack screamed as loud as he could and shielded his face with his arms.

~:~

Hitomi patted Yanagi's back as she held her daughter in her arms. She rocked slowly on her wooden rocking chair in her and Chase's bedroom. (It was as much hers as it was his now. She'd already moved her clothes in and she slept here every night.) Chase had insisted that Yanagi sleep with them. He'd said that it was so he could better defend her, but Hitomi liked to think that Chase just liked having her around. More than once, Hitomi had caught Chase staring at Yanagi as if she was some tiny miracle. When Yanagi started to stretch and struggle in her arms, Hitomi laughed. "You don't want to sit with mama? You probably want to start moving as soon as you can, huh?" Hitomi asked.

Suddenly, the doors to the bedroom opened and a tiger and panther strolled into the room. The panther dragged a whimpering body into the room with its teeth latched onto a black tank top. Less than graciously, the panther dropped the person onto the middle of the floors. "Please don't hurt me!" Jack Spicer cried out as he shook violently with his arms around his head.

"No one's going to hurt you, Jack," Hitomi said with an amused look.

Suddenly freezing, Jack looked around before standing quickly. He looked around the large, black bedroom until his eyes landed on Hitomi. His jaw fell slightly when he spotted the moving baby in her arms. Jack pointed at it weakly. "Is that the..."

"Baby?" Hitomi supplied with a smile. "Yes. Do you want to see her?"

"Uh... I guess," Jack replied and stepped forward. Once he was close enough, Jack glanced down at the baby in slight curiosity. "Huh... She kinda looks like Chase."

"She's just a fussy as he is, too," Hitomi mused when Yanagi started to once again struggle in her arms.

"So, where is Chase? And where are my clothes? And how did I get here?" Jack fired off questions.

"Chase is around here somewhere. Your coat is drying. I had to borrow it to wrap the baby. Sorry," Hitomi said with a slightly apologetic look. "And I convinced Chase to let you come back with us instead of leaving you unconscious in the forest."

"Oh... Well, thanks I guess. But I can take care of myself," Jack argued.

"I'll try to remember that. You _do_ know karate after all," Hitomi said with a roll of her eyes.

Jack blushed slightly. She remembered that? Clearing his throat loudly, Jack stood tall. "Yeah. I've been learning a few moves. I'm sure I could take you on," he declared proudly.

"As amusing as your loss to Hitomi would be, I'm going to have to say no."

Jack froze up just seconds before turning on his heel with a bright smile on his pale face. "Chase! You're back! Thank you for not leaving me alone and unconscious out there," Jack said in a tone dripping with admiration, gratefulness, and a twinge of fear.

Chase rolled his eyes. "You should be thanking Hitomi. It was _her_ idea. I was just fine leaving you where you were."

"Even though you passed out on me, you _did_ stay. Even more important, you didn't try to kill me or my baby. That deserved some kindness," Hitomi explained.

Jack blinked several times as he thought this over. People want to kill a baby? Why? Looking down at the infant in Hitomi's arms, Jack raised a dubious brow at her. "What's so special about some baby?" Jack accidentally voiced aloud.

"She is my heir. By nature, she is more _special_ than anyone else on this pathetic planet," Chase said with a growl. The jungle cats who were still watching vigilantly raised their hackles and growled. Jack's eyes widened in fear while Hitomi rolled hers.

"I can already tell that you're going to be one of _those_ parents," Hitomi said with a shake of her head. "They believe that their children are perfect and superior to others. Don't try to convince them of otherwise."

"It _is_ the truth. She _is_ half me. And despite the other half coming from you, I think she turned out quite fine," Chase teased with a smirk.

Hitomi narrowed her gaze while standing from her rocking chair. "Then you wouldn't mind watching her. Would you? She refuses to sleep and I'm exhausted. I've tried laying down with her but she keeps trying to crawl away," Hitomi said and passed Yanagi over to Chase. He took her into his arms a bit awkwardly at first, but didn't complain. Hitomi _did_ look exhausted. Chase was sure that Jack Spicer had gotten more rest than she had in the past 24 hours. "She's not even a week old and she's already trying to move around," Hitomi commented offhandedly as she climbed onto the bed. She didn't even bother to cover herself before passing out on a pillow.

"It is time for you to leave, Spicer. Take your belongings and go," Chase said.

Despite the words not holding a threat, Jack couldn't help but get the feeling that there was one there. Wide-eyed and stuttering, Jack offered his agreements that is _was way_ past lunch time anyways. Jack eased out around Chase before quickly fleeing the room. How did he make just standing there (and holding a _baby_ of all things) so threatening!? Whatever. He had to find his coat before he could leave...

Chase watched Jack go before moving to take up the rocking chair that Hitomi had been sitting in. He held Yanagi to him while staring penetratingly down at her. But despite his harsh looks, Yanagi wriggled happily while smiling brightly up at him. When she started to wriggle some more and almost slid down his lap, Chase held her steady. He was about to pull her back up when she gave his shin a decent kick. Immediately, he dropped her. Eyes going over to Hitomi to see if she had seen, he nearly sighed in relief to find her completely unconscious. "You are more than a handful. Now come back here," Chase ordered and reached down for his daughter.

The second his fingers grazed her sides, she immediately started to fuss and wriggle more. At this point, Chase was losing his patience. Growling lowly, he almost grabbed her by the front of her onesie and lifted her that way. But what she did next stopped him. With a raised brow, Chase watched Yanagi wriggle a bit before rolling over onto her stomach. She proceeded to make some cooing noises as she positioned herself further. Finally, she started to move. Chase's eyes widened. Even he knew that babies shouldn't be crawling this soon. Slowly, a proud smirk slid onto his face. "I _told_ your mother that you were special. You'll prove to be a most capable heir," Chase said. When he saw Yanagi's arms give out and she fell onto her stomach, he nearly sighed in exasperation. "Once you've been properly trained first of course."

~:~

Hitomi hated to say it, but her baby was starting to act like that _other_ half-magical baby from that trashy novel that was so popular with young girls. After sleeping almost 24 hours, she'd woken up to find Chase watching their daughter crawl around the room. He was the ever observant Papa Hawk while Yanagi laughed and roamed about. It had come as more than a shock.

And _then_ Hitomi had caught Chase trying to teach their five-day-old baby how to walk. Boy, had she chewed him out for that one. Babies can't walk at _five days old_. Their bones have barely started to fully develop! He'd hurt her! Probably give her some kind of disability for the rest of her life! Hitomi had ranted and raved loudly until Chase had smugly pointed out their daughter wobbly walking around the throne room on her own. He had felt nothing but pride whilst Hitomi felt a mixture of embarrassment, pride, and dread. Was her baby pressing the fast-forward button on her aging process?

"I do not see what the issue is. She is growing and she is happy," Chase acknowledged as he watching Yanagi playfully chase Naomi in her lioness form.

"She's growing too fast. You're immortal. Eighteen years is nothing for you. But, it's supposed to be a long time for me. I'm not sure how to cram eighteen years of milestones into eight months," Hitomi lamented.

Chase didn't reply to that. If his enemies had their way, none of them would be lasting another eight months. Suddenly, a thought hit him. "Thanks to you, Jack Spicer is calling here almost daily. Apparently, he's spoken to the monks. But he wanted to let me know that he's on _my_ side," Chase said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

"Don't be so mean to Jack. He may help us out one of these days. Besides, we don't have many allies left. Everyone in this room is all we really have," Hitomi said with a frown.

Chase observed Yanagi finally catching up to Naomi and roughly tackling her to the ground. (Was she getting stronger?) His eyes glanced at Hitomi who stood next to him. This was all he had? "This is more than enough," Chase replied. He should have expected Hitomi to slip her hand into his and rest her head on his shoulder.

"Why can't you always be a romantic? And smile more. You're always so grumpy," Hitomi commented and poked at his right cheek.

Chase let out an annoyed scoff and ducked his head out of the way. Hearing loud giggles, Chase turned back in time to see Yanagi awkwardly running towards him with her tiny hands fisted. Once she was standing at his feet, she offered up whatever she had been holding in her hands. With a puzzled frown, Chase accepted the gift.

"Is that _fur?"_ Hitomi questioned incredulously.

"Yes. _Mine,"_ Naomi said while rubbing her back. "She snatched it right off me." Everyone watched Yanagi smile brightly before raising her arms for Chase to pick her up. "Not only is she too fast and strong for her age, she's getting smart too," Naomi commented.

"I wouldn't expect any less," Chase said and hoisted Yanagi up into his arms. Immediately, she released a big yawn before resting her head on his shoulder. Chase turned to leave with the sleepy child in his arms and a smirk on his face.

"I'm not sure, but I think I'm a little jealous," Hitomi mused.

"At what? That she prefers her father over you or that he never carries you like that?" Naomi asked.

"Uh... I think a little of both," Hitomi replied and Naomi laughed.

~:~

Chase stared up at the ceiling with his right arm behind his head and his left holding Yanagi in place where she slept on his chest. They had tried keeping her in a crib when she slept to prevent her from rolling over and falling to the floor. In worked at first, but then Yanagi had woken up after her nap to find no one to let her out. Needless to say, she had thrown quite the tantrum and kicked the bars clear off the side. Since then, Yanagi always slept with someone, usually Chase.

Yanagi's growth didn't show any sings of slowing down or stopping. After almost a month, she was already stronger than most of the humans on the planet. She could run, jump, and was getting better at climbing anything taller than her (which was everything). She did all this from the body of a one-month old, however.

Hitomi was pleased. She could deal with a baby with superhuman strength as long as they still grew like a baby should. Chase, on the other hand, had felt only disappointment. Time was running short. Eventually, his enemies would finish recuperating and they would be knocking at his door once again. No matter how strong, he couldn't take an infant into battle at his side. There had to be a faster way.

"Perhaps there is..." Chase mused with a growing smirk. He glanced down at where Yanagi was snoozing peacefully before running his hand along her short, black hair. His world was filled with magic. Surely, he would be able to find a way to help prepare Yanagi for her destiny.

"You know..."

Chase restrained the surprise he felt at being snuck upon. Glancing towards the bedroom door, he spotted Hitomi leaning on the doorframe with a smirk on her face. He raised a brow at her in question.

"I'm not sure how you manage to look so sneaky and conniving laying there with a baby sleeping on your chest. Especially when she's wearing a bright pink onesie that says, "Daddy's Little Princess" in glitter," Hitomi said with a laugh.

Chase frowned. "You're the one who _insists_ on dressing her like this," he argued.

Approaching the empty side of the bed, Hitomi climbed on and crawled towards her family. Huh. _Family._ It had a nice ring to it. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"My future," he answered.

"What about it?"

"I just realized how perfect it will be," Chase replied with a grin. Hitomi narrowed her gaze at him. When Chase raised his left arm to make room for her, her suspicions flew out the window. Chase rarely wanted to cuddle. She wasn't about to ruin the moment. Chase stared up at the ceiling again with a smirk on his face. ' _Perfect.'_

~:~

Moi-Moi: Chase, what are you planning? Just don't do anything stupid...


End file.
